The Council
by Night and Gale
Summary: AU: A small council of demon hunters struggles with a sudden increase in vampire victims. The Council discovers it faces 5 Nosferatu Lords. When help is offered from an ancient enemy, can they risk accepting it? Can risk refusing it?
1. Prologue: First Impressions

Hello, I'm a brand-new fanfic author! Please give me feedback or I might decide to drop this story.  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Prologue: First Impressions  
  
Kura pressed another pushpin into the map of Tokyo tacked up on her wall. Skimming the last two obituaries in the paper, she searched for the key words died unexpectedly or neck trauma. One death was certainly from natural causes; the man was 78 and had died in the hospital. The other might be a vampire kill, or it might be, as the newspaper claimed, a mugging victim who was knifed. She pressed a blue pin in for a possible vampire kill.  
  
Stepping back to look at the map, she couldn't help swearing. There was a cluster of red pins in sector F, marking seven confirmed vampire kills within the past week, but not a single black pin to show a successful slaying. She called up Council headquarters on her cell phone.  
  
Hey, Keiko. It's Kura.  
  
Kura? You OK?  
  
Yeah, I was just doing the obits. There's been a cluster in the east of sector F; I'll take it.  
  
Do you want backup? Yumi's already doing double shifts, but maybe Saru could make it . . .  
  
I don't need a partner who'll be exhausted from work. I'll take care of it.  
  
Your call, you are a Senior now. By the way, I never congratulated you.  
  
Don't bother. Any other Nosferatu activity in the area?  
  
No . . . but that is near the taiyoukai's territory. Do be careful, OK? Don't let the promotion go to your head.  
  
No need to worry. I know how to handle vamps, and I don't plan on tangling with Lord Sesshomeru tonight. Signing off.  
  
Jamming the cell back into her belt, Kura slurped up the last of the ramen noodles in the styrofoam cup and tossed it into the sink to deal with later. She grabbed a pouch of blood out of the mini-fridge and coated both ends of her double-bladed staff with the precious miko blood. She sealed the bag carefully; the Council could only give its members half a liter every month, so every drop was essential. Jamming on her side-zip boots, she left her basement apartment after activating the ward on the door. She climbed half a flight of stairs, then stepped out into the cool night air which was filled with gasoline fumes and lingering dampness from that afternoon's rain. Walking purposefully, she reached sector F within fifteen minutes.  
  
The streetlight at the corner flickered to life for a few seconds before giving up the fight. In the shadows of the dingy apartment buildings, Kura waited and watched. A vampire would only kill one or two times in a week. Seven kills within a week meant a pack of vamps, and vamps were so fiercely territorial that they would only hunt in the same neighborhood if they were under the control of a Nosferatu, an undead sorcerer far faster and stronger than the lower vampires. It was suicide to attack a pack without taking out their Nosferatu leader first.  
  
Sounds of a struggle came from the park's north end. Careful to stay in the shadows of the buildings, she hurried towards the grunts and clanks until she could see the ones fighting. Eight vampires were circling a boy of about 17 with a low ponytail in the back. His handsome face was smeared with blood, and his brow was set in a determined line. He brandished a staff whose decorations clinked every time he shifted his grip. At first glance Kura could tell he was a rookie: he wore a black leather jacket, but no gloves to protect his knuckles and help him grasp his noisy staff. He wore shiny new leather boots. She was impressed to see two bodies already spattered on the ground-- had this rookie really managed two kills? Or had he come to the aid of human victims? Either way, the vamps had stopped attacking wildly and were now coordinating their attacks. The kid would be in trouble soon.  
  
With a last desperate scan of the shadows for their Nosferatu master, who would probably hold aloof from the fighting as long as there was no real chance of the boy escaping, Kura charged the vamps at a run. The 8-inch blades extended from both ends when she twisted the handle of her staff. Her running jump landed a kick between the shoulder blades of one vamp; the satisfying snap of his backbone meant this one would be staying down. With a sweep of her staff she beheaded one of his companions on each blade. The remaining five vampires and the boy looked at her in astonishment, but the moment the vamps noticed the symbol she wore on a choker around her neck, their faces twisted with loathing and they began to snarl and growl.  
  
The factor of surprise was gone, and the Nosferatu lord would join the fight within moments. The boy lunged backwards to avoid a vampire's dagger, tripped over a dead body and fell backwards. To save him, Kura was forced to throw her staff like a javelin; it only nicked the vampire wielding the dagger, but the blessed wood forced him back a step, giving the boy time to scramble to his feet. A female vamp with a machete leapt towards Kura, but the demon hunter was able to duck under the attack and throw the vamp over her shoulder, into the butcher's blade of another vampire. Kura lunged towards her weapon as the boy she had protected joined the fight, punching one of the vampires in the stomach. Her hand almost closed around the smooth wooden shaft when a jolt of electricity crackled through the air. The vampires who hadn't jumped back quickly enough were also knocked to the ground.  
  
Kura mentally cursed herself for having released her staff-- blessed by a monk, it could have warded off the Nosferatu's electrical attack. She clamped her jaw closed around a scream of pain. If any concerned citizens came to her rescue now, they would be nothing but a pile of ash within moments. Kura's sight was beginning to flicker; the afterimages of the electric sparks were blinding. Her body twitched and convulsed as her muscles contracted violently with every electric pulse. She was close to blacking out and hardly aware of the boy standing up behind her and enclosing her within his spirit shield.  
  
She found herself staring up into the chocolate-brown eyes of the boy. He smiled and asked, Are you all right? You took a pretty hard blast.  
  
Kura resisted the urge to punch her rescuer in the nose. He was the one who had gotten her into this mess in the first place, and the vampires . . . Suddenly Kura noticed the blue globe hovering around them. A spirit shield? What are you, a monk?  
  
Miroku at your service. Now, if you don't mind, do you think we could get back to the fighting again? He pulled her to her feet and handed her the double-bladed staff. Kura took it with a scowl, thinking, Who is this rookie, who thinks he can baby a Council Senior?  
  
Drop the shield, monk, she growled.  
  
My name's Miroku.  
  
I don't care, just drop the damned shield!  
  
Miroku smiled good-naturedly and released the shield. You have bit of a temper, eh? Kura answered by spearing a vampire in the bowels and forcing the blade up through the stomach and between the ribs before freeing the staff with a jerk. Grinning, Miroku turned to smack the vampire sneaking up behind him on the side of the head. A piece of ancient parchment shot towards the stunned vamp and stuck to the skin of his forehead. Yelling in agony, the vampire tried to pull of the warding spell, but at a word from Miroku the spell scroll ignited and the vampire exploded in a spray of blood.  
  
The remaining three vampires moved warily to circle Miroku; the Nosferatu stepped in front of Kura, his raised hand clutching a ball of electricity. As he threw it, she dove to the right, curling into a forward roll and rising to her feet in one smooth, practiced motion. She dodged two more as well. Skirting around the smoldering pockmarks in the grass, she tensed and leapt directly into the center of the next electricity ball, holding her staff across her body. The electricity yielded to the strong warding spells engraved on the staff; the lightning parted to allow her to charge through it.  
  
An expression of shock was frozen on the Nosferatu's face even after Kura sliced through the jugular and felt the cold, thick blood run down the shaft of the staff. Behind her, Miroku was holding off a dagger-wielding vamp when, suddenly, two inches of blade protruded from the vamp's stomach. Kura walked over calmly to retrieve her throwing knife from the corpse's back.  
  
Miroku called. How do you know it's dead? A knife in the back might kill it eventually, but Miroku knew it wouldn't kill a vampire instantly.  
  
Miko blood on the blade. Trust me, rookie, I know how to kill a vamp.  
  
Miko's blood?  
  
Shit, kid, you come out here to fight a gang of vamps, and you don't even know the first thing about how to fight them. You keep sticking your neck out like that, you're gonna lose your head. More importantly, you put those around you in danger as well. She glared at Miroku until he dropped his eyes, embarrassed. Then she continued, in a softer tone, You hurt? You're covered in blood.  
  
Miroku looked down at himself and swore. My parents are gonna kill me if I go home looking like this.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Kura sighed. I've got an apartment 15 minutes walk from here. You can clean up there.  
  
Thanks. But we don't have to walk; we can use my bike. The bike was a shiny black two-seater motorcycle. Kura pulled on one of the helmets and sat down in the front seat.  
  
Hey, I'm driving! Miroku protested.  
  
I'm not about to let you splatter me across the pavement. I'm the one who knows how to get to my apartment, anyway. Miroku sighed and climbed on behind her. Kura snapped. With a snort of disbelief, Miroku took the helmet.  
  
We just nearly got killed by vampires, and you're afraid of a motorcycle crash?  
  
Take stupid risks and you get killed. When he had strapped on the helmet, Kura started the engine and drove it to the parking lot beside her apartment building. Miroku wondered how she had learned to drive a motorcycle; was she a yakuza girl? When they reached her apartment, she grabbed Miroku's hand and pressed his palm against the door. she spoke clearly, The ward lowered, Kura unlocked the door and ushered Miroku in.  
  
Removing his shoes just inside the door, Miroku couldn't help noticing that the apartment was a dump, and messy as well. After sealing the door's barrier again, Kura kicked off her boots and flopped onto the only furniture in the room, an old couch with its stuffing falling out. It was covered with food- and bloodstains. The bathroom's through the kitchen. There should be an extra towel and some spare clothes in the closet. Wake me when you're done. Without even unstrapping the belt holding her throwing daggers, she closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.  
  
Bemused, Miroku went into the tiny bathroom and showered. Most of the blood was from the vampires, but he discovered a painful cut on his right shoulder. When he climbed out, he couldn't find a towel anywhere in the closet, but he did find plenty of spare clothing of all sizes. Why does she keep all this around? he wondered while he toweled his long hair dry with a little girls' dress. He managed to find clothing to wear, though the pants were rather baggy; he found a belt to hold them up. He also found a giant first-aid kit, complete with 1/4 mile cloth bandages, 2 liters of various antiseptics, enough aspirin to knock out an elephant, several needles and medical thread. Did she actually stitch up her own wounds? He cut off a length of bandage to wrap the wound and sloshed on some of the antiseptic. Ouch, that stung!  
  
Miroku tried to wake Kura, but she was so deeply asleep that neither his voice nor his shaking of her shoulder brought her around. Watching her sleep, Miroku realized how young she was. He would guess that she was about his own age, though the lines of anxiety creasing her forehead had made her look much older. He decided move her to her bed so that she wouldn't fall off the couch in the middle of the night. He carried her in his arms, surprised at how heavy her compact, muscular body was. In the only other room in the house, he found two futons. Did she live with someone else? One of the beds hadn't been made in days, but the other was tucked in with fresh, clean sheets. Beside clean bed were more bandages, a medical thermometer and a stethoscope. I guess she brings people hurt in the fight here to treat them.  
  
Miroku knew he should probably leave, but he was exhausted and didn't want to drive the twenty-five minutes back to the shrine where he lived with his mother, grandfather, little sister and godmother. After placing the young woman-- what was her name?-- on the messy bed and tucking her in, he used his cell to leave tell his parents he was sleeping over with a friend, lay down on the neat futon and fell asleep within minutes.


	2. Calm Before the Storm

Chapter one finally up! I've had so much trouble editing the uploading program deletes my carriage returns, tabs and close-parentheses! AARGH!  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Calm Before the Storm  
  
Kura, wake up. We've reached your apartment. Kura woke up with a start. The coworker who had driven her home was looking at her with concern. You look like you haven't slept for days. Are you OK?  
  
Yeah, Aiko, I'm fine. Just didn't get much sleep last night. That was certainly true–– she'd pulled a double shift hunting last night, then gone to her day job for eight hours. Thank God it's Friday, right? Aiko laughed. Thanks for the ride.  
  
Leaning against her apartment door while fumbling for her keys, she fell forward when the door opened unexpectedly. She fell right into Miroku's arms. Hunh? Miroku what are you doing here . . . She broke off when she smelled the food. She walked towards the Chinese take-out boxes as if in a trance.  
  
No you don't, Kura. You sit down on the couch, I'll bring the grub. She kicked off the high heels, stripped the nylons off and released her hair from the pins and hair bands. Fifteen minutes later, Kura had polished off two spring rolls, half a box of noodles, and one box each of General Gao's shrimp, sweet and sour chicken, and white rice. Satisfied, she leaned back against Miroku's chest and let out an enormous belch. Surveying the damage, Miroku couldn't suppress a whistle of amazement.  
  
Miroku, you're my guardian angel, Kura mumbled into the crook of his neck.  
  
Miroku asked with a devilish grin, Would an angel do this? He pinched her butt. In an instant Kura's hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, grabbed his ponytail and yanked him down onto the couch, pinning him with her weight. Their faces were six inches apart when, with a lazy grin, she began to nibble on his lower lip. She pressed his lips apart with her own in a slow kiss and ran her tongue under his. He could smell the General Gao's and the spicy smell of her sweat.  
  
I wanted to thank you . . . for everything, she murmured in his ear. It had been two years since they met. Kura had been Miroku's main partner throughout his yearlong training; when Miroku was allowed to patrol without a partner, their relationship had changed from that of teacher and student to that of coworkers and good friends. Kura hadn't allowed the relationship to become romantic until two months ago. A hundred nights of takeout food and cartoons succeeded in lowering her barriers where a hundred nights of fighting together had failed. Kura yawned. I'm so tired . . . could we just cuddle? With a smile, Miroku nestled her next to him so that her head rested on his chest.  
  
When Kura awoke in the morning, she fumbled for her watch. 10 AM. What? 10 AM? I'm late! She leapt off of the couch, nearly pushing off Miroku, and ran to her room, emerging 47 seconds later pulling a sweater over her head. Where are my high heels?  
  
What the hell? Miroku groaned. Kura, what's the matter?  
  
I was supposed to be at work an hour ago! My boss is gonna kill me.  
  
Kura, look at me. Stop! Look at me. She stared at him. It's Saturday.  
  
A blush crept up her cheeks.  
  
After a leisurely breakfast of Lucky Charms and Ramen Noodles, Miroku insisted on taking Kura grocery shopping. Man can not live on cardboard and Styrofoam alone, he reprimanded her.  
  
Wanna bet? Kura was scanning the obits while they were standing in the produce section. She had already marked 12, and she was only halfway through. There were too many, far too many suspicious deaths. Within the past month, five rookies had disappeared and one Senior was killed trying to rescue his younger partner. All the Seniors were on double-shifts, and there weren't enough demon hunters to provide adequate backup.  
  
Miroku's cell started ringing. Muttering something about the Council never leaving its members alone, he answered.  
  
Yeah, this is Miroku. Someone need backup? . . .What do you mean, it's too late for that? Miroku tossed a bag of tomatoes into the cart with more force than was necessary--the deaths and extra hours were taking a toll on even his easy-going personality.  
  
Keiko said. You're a senior now.  
  
A senior? But I've only been working for the council for two years, it's too soon . . . He saw Kura's shoulders become rigid; her dark eyes were wide with anxiety. Miroku asked, What happened?  
  
Yumi's missing. Presumed dead.  
  
Yumi's dead? Miroku repeated. Kura's fingers punctured the skin of the orange in her hand. Miroku wanted to comfort her, but knew Kura wanted to be left alone. Instead he snapped at Keiko, That's impossible. She's one of the best fighters we have. She's cautious, she'd never get herself killed.  
  
She was also responsible. She'd wouldn't fail to report unless she was dead. We haven't heard from her in 36 hours; there's no one matching her description in any local hospital. I wish she was invincible, but she was only human. I guess she finally met her match; one day, you will too. Congratulations, Senior Miroku. There was a click and then a dial tone.  
  
Kura had turned away from him the moment Yumi's name was mentioned. Her shoulders didn't shake from crying, but she dug her fingers into the peel of the orange she was holding--the flesh of the fruit and the juice ran down her forearm and dripped onto the linoleum. She let the pulpy mess fall to the ground and ground it under her heel before walking stiffly to the store's entrance.  
  
Miss, what are you doing? You have to pay for that orange . . . She brushed past the stammering attendant and out the door. You can't leave . . . The middle aged woman shook her head at Kura's rudeness and went to clean up the mess. Miroku pressed some money into her hand.  
  
Will that pay for the orange?  
  
Yes, but why . . .  
  
She just found out a friend died.  
  
Whatever you say. The attendant smiled conspiratorially at the handsome young man. Next time you dump a girl, try to be more gentle, hm?  
  
When Miroku got to her apartment with the bags of groceries, he found it empty and her double-bladed staff missing. Her cell was sitting on the counter. Curious, he checked the messages. Four were from council, asking her to take on extra shifts now that Yumi was gone. A fifth warned of shortages in miko blood–– of the four regular donors the Council used, three had been killed and the fourth was missing, presumed dead. Miroku knew that Kura would be upset–– first losing her mentor and weapons master, then losing one her most powerful tools for avenging Yumi's death. None of the messages were from her family–– did she even have one? Or, for that matter, friends apart from other members of Council? Miroku realized that, in the years he had known her, she never even mentioned her family or where she came from.  
  
Kura returned about 4 PM with her staff bloodstained and carrying a six-pack of beer and three king-sized chocolate bars. Her eyes were dull but not red from crying. She moved as if gravity would pull her down at any minute. She barely noticed Miroku, not even giving him a nod of acknowledgment, picked up her ringing cell phone from the counter and stuffed it in between two couch cushions. She wandered over to stare at the map of Tokyo, covered with pins to mark the location of each demonic or vampiric murder. She jabbed in seven black pins at locations all over the district to mark the vampires she'd killed; she'd covered quite a bit of distance today. Then she picked up a white pin. Her voice was flat and emotionless. Where was Yumi when they killed her?  
  
In sector L, they think. She jammed in the white pin.  
  
I'll go there tonight.  
  
Kura, I know you're upset, but if Yumi was killed by this vampire or demon . . . Wait for backup. There's no use in getting yourself killed.  
  
Our job is to get ourselves killed. Remember? Our deaths don't matter, as long as we take out enough vampires or demons.  
  
Kura, don't say that! Besides, the Council doesn't have any more miko blood; all the donors were killed.  
  
I can fight without it.  
  
You'll die without a fast-acting poison on your blade. The bleeding vampires will rip you apart with any limbs you haven't already cut off.  
  
Her dark eyes met his suddenly, and he was unprepared for what he saw within them. Miroku, isn't your younger sister––  
  
Leave her out of this!  
  
Damn it, Miroku, you said it yourself. I need miko blood if I'm going to survive this fight.  
  
I won't let you.  
  
A quarter cup would be enough––  
  
Miroku was surprised by his own vehemence.  
  
Fine. Who knows how many lives you've doomed by that decision, but that doesn't matter to you, does it? If everyone else on Council dies, you've still got your family to run back to. You're still living at home with your mommy, right? Miroku flushed and took a step towards her. Get out, Miroku. Go home to the family you love so much, you won't even let them know that demons exist, much less that you're a Senior demon hunter. A muscle on Miroku's jaw twitched; he pivoted and jammed on his sneakers.  
  
And I bet you'd bleed your sister to death just to kill more vampires. Miroku had his back to her, so he didn't see the anguished look on her face when his careless parting shot struck her very close to the heart. Goodbye, Kura. Since you're planning on getting yourself killed, I guess I won't see you again. There was the sound of the door slamming, his feet pounding on the stairs, and finally the engine on his motorcycle revving and rumbling into silence.  
  
Goodbye, Miroku. Tears began to stream down her face, dripping off the chin and the nose. All of the pains became jumbled together: she was crying because she had scared off Miroku, she was crying for her mentor Yumi, she was crying because she was afraid of dying, she was crying because she was even more afraid of dying alone and having no one know she was gone, she was crying for her older sister and the day that had destroyed both of their lives, she was crying for all the corpses of the homeless and the poor whose deaths would never be reported in the obituaries. Sleep, comforting and dreamless, finally stopped the tears.


	3. Kura Fights Alone

Short chapter, lots of fighting.  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 2: Fighting Alone  
  
By 5 PM, Kura had searched sector L, but she hadn't found any abandoned buildings large enough to hold a pack of vampires. Returning to her apartment for dinner, she found herself staring at the map. There were plenty of victims, but they weren't clustered. Could this be a vampire powerful enough to have taken over six different sectors? Or were the unusual numbers of deaths due to killings by animal-type demons, whose kill patterns tended to be more spread-out?  
  
The Council had dealt with feral youkai before, but that type of demon always left eviscerated bodies in its wake; none had been reported recently. Kura's eyes wandered to the boundary between the Council's territory and the demon lord Sesshomeru's. She remembered when one of the elders had told her the story when she first joined:  
  
You want to live to be as old as me, the man had growled, you don't set foot in the demon lord's territory. Five years ago some rookie like you went in on a dare. He was found in pieces by the police, with a surprised look on his face. Kid never even knew he was hit.  
  
Sesshomeru showed up fourteen years ago and sent the Council this lovely letter stating that any of our members patrolling the area west of sector F would not return alive. The council, of course, sent three Seniors to take him out, but they disappeared.  
  
Then, in the middle of a private council meeting, who should walk in, cool as can be, but the demon lord himself. None of us had heard him come in; the guards were out cold. He'd dissolved the door lock with the acidic venom on his claws. He was in humanoid form with long white hair down to his ankles and these cold yellow eyes. He walks right in, as if he was the one who had called the meeting, and emptied a duffel bag onto the middle of the conference table. And guess what was inside? All three of the Senior demon hunters with their throats ripped out. And this Sesshomeru stands there, cool as a cucumber, and says that he won't bother to return the corpses of any more fools who don't heed his warning. Then he walks to an open window and jumps out . . . from a fifth-floor window. Nobody's seen him since . . . at least nobody who lived long enough to report it.  
  
The Council put a bounty on his head, and over the next decade, seven tried, but none came back. The council gave it up as a lost cause, and nobody's been allowed to patrol the area since.  
  
Kura traced the boundary of Sesshomeru's territory on her map. The demon lord hadn't killed Yumi; if he had, her body would have been in the middle of the street, a warning to all other demon hunters. Turning her attention again to the pins marking vampire victims, she noticed that they formed a loose disc, cut off on one side by Sesshomeru's territory; there were never any suspicious kills in the taiyoukai's territory because he didn't tolerate vampires or other demons. The center of the disk of kills would be sector P, less than a quarter mile from Sesshomeru's territory. Twelve buildings in sector P had been abandoned-- it was an unpleasant part of town. Kura decided to watch each of them for signs of vampire activity. If the pack was truly large enough to have a territory three miles across, then their hideout wouldn't stay secret for very long.  
  
At 2:30, Kura's waiting paid off. She had followed a female for two and a half hours before the vampire led Kura to an abandoned factory building. In front of the door, the female met a second one of her kind. This vampire was clearly the Nosferatu. His skin almost glowed with a sickly light. He wore a cloak that hid the movement of his hands and body. He gave his underling a curt command; the lower vampire bowed and entered the abandoned factory.  
  
Kura charged him while his back was turned, but the undead sorcerer dodged her thrust easily. Grabbing the end of the staff, he jerked her off-balance. She twisted to avoid a punch and landed a kick just above the Nosferatu's knee; his leg gave out and he fell forward with a grunt. She raised the staff, slamming the wooden handle into his chin, and danced out of reach of his flailing arms. She jumped into the air just as the pavement crumbled from the Nosferatu's magic. Using the full length of the staff, she sliced into the back of his neck to sever the spinal cord before her feet touched the ground again.  
  
Several lower vampires, smelling the blood, moved to surround her but stayed well out of range. Why don't they scatter? Kura wondered. They were waiting. Kura felt the pressure wave moments before a fireball blew the factory's door off its hinges. The metal door knocked her to the ground, but also shielded her from the heat. Two vampires who had not been as lucky turned to ash in seconds. When Kura scrambled to her feet, she found herself facing a shapely female Nosferatu whose hands and hair were on fire. I'm impressed, the vampire said in a low, husky voice, you killed old Tilon. I thought he would never die. She flipped the blazing strand of hair out of her eyes with a toss of her head. I'm going to have fun.  
  
Holding her staff out in front of her, Kura began to give ground. Without a better idea of how the monster's powers worked, the demon hunter's best chance lay in having enough room to dodge the blasts.  
  
Within two minutes, the Nosferatu had covered the pavement with scorch marks and incinerated five more vampires. Damn it, bitch, hold still! Kura vaulted over a low shot, then ducked under a high one. She was sweating profusely and the muscles in her calves and thighs were twitching with fatigue. Her throat and eyes stung from the smoke. She couldn't continue this game for much longer, and both opponents knew it. She dodged two more fireballs in close succession and immediately made her move, running towards the Nosferatu in a zigzag pattern.  
  
The vampire was unable to predict Kura's movements; the fireballs exploded harmlessly to the left and right. The demon hunter leapt and used her staff like a long-jumper's pole for even more height. With a yell of triumph, the Nosferatu threw a fireball at pointblank range. Gleaming a the soft blue of its own magic, Kura's blessed weapon sliced through the fireball; the two halves passed on either side and exploded harmlessly behind her. A kick in the sternum sent the vampire staggering back, and the wooden handle of the staff connected with the back of her head hard enough to crush the skull.  
  
Kura took out the three lower vamps who hadn't been incinerated already. It was much harder than it should have been: she was thoroughly winded and she had to strike the dying vampires over and over again before they finally lay still. She went down on one knee for several moments, trying to catch her breath. Where had the second Nosferatu come from? Like lower vampires, Nosferatu were fiercely territorial and competitive. The only way two would coexist in the same area was if they were ruled by a leader they feared more than they hated each other. Kura had heard of vampires that powerful, but none had been seen in Tokyo for a hundred years; the Nosferatu lords, as they were called, were very rare and sometimes considered mere myths.  
  
Kura peered through the door cautiously. She could feel the presence of a demon or vampire, but couldn't find the source. Entering the factory building, Kura didn't see the vampire that dropped down from a hole in the ceiling until it was too late. The vamp made a long vertical slash with her blade, leaving a bloody scratch on Kura's right cheek and a deep cut on the right side of her chest from just below the breast to her hipbone. Fortunately, Kura's ribs deflected the dagger and prevented it from puncturing a lung.  
  
In the close confines of the hallway, the long staff was a liability. Kura dropped it and reached for a throwing knife with her left hand while she broke the vampire's nose with her right elbow. The vampire brought up both hands to her bleeding nose, leaving her body unguarded; her scream was choked off by the throwing knife thrust into her windpipe.  
  
Kura was exhausted and in pain. The wound was not bleeding heavily, but it was a deep cut; it would take time to heal completely. Kura had just turned to leave when she saw movement at the end of the hall. A familiar figure was there for a moment, then gone. 


	4. Helpless

The plot thickens . . .  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 3: Helpless  
  
Kura picked up her staff and, following the ghost of her friend, jogged to the end of the hallway and entered the production floor, a high-ceilinged room large enough to fit three basketball courts. Twenty feet in front of the door was a raised platform, and on it a throne. An ancient Nosferatu lounged in the chair. His young face was unlined and his body was undoubtedly more powerful than ever, but Kura could tell that he was old by his glowing skin, which lit the gloomy room five feet in every direction. He was the eldest vampire Kura had ever seen: two or three centuries old at least. The Nosferatu was watching Kura intently, a tiny smile curving his bloodless lips. Well, well, well. His velvety voice carried across the echoing room. You've far surpassed my expectations. With only a blessed staff and a throwing knife, you took out two of my Nosferatu underlings and caused the deaths of eleven of the lower vampires. You may be exactly what I am looking for. His silk clothing rustled as he stood and approached her with measured steps. Of course, I had high hopes for the other one as well, but she did not become the powerful Nosferatu lady I dream of. A pity, but she's only a lower vampire. With a gesture, the Nosferatu called forward one of the fifty guards standing around the base of the throne. The guard stepped towards him, into the unnatural light cast by the ancient one's skin.  
  
The lower vampire turned at the sound of Kura's anguished cry, but her sharp eyes showed no recognition, only hunger. Kura took an involuntary step away from the corpse of her closest friend. Horror and fear seized her; she turned and ran out the door, pounded down the hallway and was four steps from the exit when something grabbed her shoulder and slammed her to the ground, knocking the air out of her lungs. Lying flat on her back, she could see the ancient Nosferatu looming over her, its red eyes and pale skin glowing in the semidarkness. In those blood-red eyes she could see her own death.  
  
Between the vampire's hands was a pale green filmy sheet, like a bubble. He pushed it down towards her, and she was horrified to see it expand to surround her. She tried to destroy the film with the blade on the end of her staff, but the bubble merely stretched; however, the moment the staff's wooden handle touched the magical bubble, it popped. She scrambled to get her feet under her, but was knocked back down by the force of a tremendous kick that snapped the thick wooden staff in two and sent splinters flying. Kura, dazed, watched as he cast the spell a second time. The staff pieces couldn't destroy the film; the weapon's magic had been shattered as well. The bubble closed in around her. It brushed against her hand, and she felt a tingling just before it became numb. When she tried to pull her hand away, she realized that she couldn't move the muscles in her arm. In moments, it covered her skin until she was completely paralyzed, lying helpless at the Nosferatu's feet.  
  
His left hand closed around her throat; he lifted her by the neck and slammed her limp body into the wall so that her feet dangled several inches off the ground. I am Lord Naru, one of the great Nosferatu lords. When the Gathering comes, the Eight will serve me, the power of the ancients will fill me and the long wait will end. Every human, demon and vampire will know my power and bow down to me.  
  
And you will be beside me. You will have the honor of being my Lady. In time, you will grow to love me, and I will give you all the power you have ever desired; you will hold life and death in your cold fingers. His voice was smooth and persuasive. His youthful face was pale but handsome in contrast to the waves of long dark hair gathered in a high ponytail.  
  
He traced a long fingernail along her jawbone, drawing a thin line of blood. Kura couldn't feel it; she watched as the Nosferatu leaned in to lick away the blood, starting with the chin and following the thin cut up to her right ear. But first, he whispered, you will learn to fear me.  
  
Kura saw her body jerk and heard the sound of bones being crushed. His strike had been too fast to see. The vampire released her throat and the containment spell at the same instant. Pain exploded in her side where the lower vampire had slashed her earlier. She slumped to the ground and curled herself into a fetal position to protect the right side of her ribcage, where the lower two ribs had been snapped into many pieces. The punch also widened the knife wound; warm, sticky blood was flowing between her fingers.  
  
Kura's other hand slid to the hidden sheath on the inside of her belt and closed over the handle of her smallest knife. She was warned of the vampire's approach by his shadow; one of the slippered feet came forward to nudge her inert form. As quickly as possible, she drew the knife and stabbed its needle-like blade through the top of the Nosferatu's foot and down into the white tile floor. With a scream of rage, the Nosferatu tried to pull his foot free, but found it pinned securely. Kura scrambled away from him and lunged out the door. He reached down to jerk out the thin blade, but his hand was repelled. He was forced to kneel down to see the warding sutra wrapped around the the handle. He was impressed; it was a powerful spell that would take him at least 10 minutes to break. At his yell of rage, ten of his vampire guards had come running.  
  
Follow her. Catch her and bring her back. The guards raced for the door with their master's voice thundering after them, Bring her back ALIVE, or I'll hurl you into sunlight!  
  
Outside, Kura was flat-out running. She'd been on the track team before dropping out of high school, so she knew that she could beat almost any vampire sent after her. Well, under normal circumstances she could. Bleeding, with her side burning with every breath, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep running. Every step jarred her entire body. If the Nosferatu lord came after her . . . He had overtaken her within ten steps in the warehouse hallway, even though she had a head-start of twenty feet. His punches were faster than her vision could register. He had shattered the thick wooden staff as if it was a toothpick. If he chased her, he would turn her. And she would spend an unchangeing eternity without compassion, killing and feeding on those she had known as friends.  
  
Kura ran as if her life depended on it. In reality, far more than just her life was on the line.


	5. Flight

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). Please send me a review!  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Jakkin, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 4: Flight  
  
Kura had a forty-foot lead on the vampires who were emerging from the warehouse; now she had to stay ahead of them until she reached her destination. She had briefly considered going to another member of Council for help, but there were no Seniors within a quarter of a mile. Involving a rookie would only get the rookie killed. Even if she could have reached her apartment, the warding spell wouldn't hold against such a powerful Nosferatu. Which left Kura one chance to escape becoming a vampire: if she could reach the Demon Lord Sesshomeru's territory, the taiyoukai would kill her instantly.  
  
Her footsteps kept pounding down the middle of the street, each step like a punch in the gut. There were no cars driving around this late at night. The only light was from the yellow streetlights, slowly approaching and then receding into the night. The brick and the concrete apartment buildings all looked alike, and she couldn't remember the street signs moments after reading them. It was harder and harder to think beyond the pain. It took all of her concentration just to run in a straight line. She wanted to stop and rest more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. She was having trouble breathing; each breath seared her throat and chest, but still she couldn't get enough air.  
  
At some point, the pain eased. She was beyond it. The edges of her vision were growing dark, and she knew she was approaching the end. Her feet could barely run; they stumbled and tripped. She couldn't feel the ground under her feet, as if she was floating. How much further? Had she crossed into the Demon lord's territory already? Was she even running in the right direction?  
  
The vampires were closing the gap, not quickly but nevertheless they were gaining on her. They were shouting something, but Kura couldn't make out the words. One more streetlight passed. Then the next one. Kura heard a vampire just behind her; his hand closed on her jacket, was trying to pull her backward . . .  
  
There was the sound of something snapping, and the sound of flesh being severed. The pulling released suddenly, and Kura tumbled forward onto her hands and knees. She turned to see the vampire that had grabbed her staring up out of glassy eyes. He was sliced into four pieces and his dark, thick blood had splattered the back of Kura's jacket.  
  
Raising her eyes, Kura saw a blur of white and a dancing yellow line that burned an afterimage onto her retina. She closed her eyes and could still see the yellow energy whip which had sliced through two more vampires. They didn't have time to cry out; every one of the pursuing vampires was dead within four seconds.  
  
The white blur paused, resolved itself into the figure of a tall man, dressed in flowing white silk, with a sword at his waist. His white hair settled to fall in a graceful arch to a point just above his ankles. There were two magenta stripes on each cheek, accenting the already angular face, and in the center of his forehead was the mark of a blue crescent moon. Kura saw little of this; her attention was riveted to the cold, intelligent eyes that took in everything in the world around them and passed judgment. Though his clothing, face and hair were immaculate, his claws and hands were dark with the vampires' old, clotted blood.  
  
Kura used a lamppost to pull herself to her feet; she would not die on her knees. She felt no pain and no fear, only a strange sense of completion. She would not be changed into the creature she hated and feared above all others; she would not be forced to feed on others to continue her miserable life. She had succeeded in fleeing the Nosferatu lord; he would never have her.  
  
Her dimming gaze shifted from the Demon lord's bloody claws to the face of the vampire that had grabbed her. His face was frozen in an expression of faint surprise, but there had been no pain in his death. Kura knew that her own death, by those claws, would be instantaneous and painless. She managed to take one step towards the demon before a feeling of warmth enveloped her body and she fell, unconscious, to the ground.  
  
Lord Sesshomeru approached the prone form. He recognized the Senior demon hunter from a file given to him by one of his spies within Council. He was amazed that a Senior would dare enter his territory, even more amazed that she seemed to have done so intentionally. The smell of old blood and dead vampires was nauseous. Under it, he could clearly smell the human's own blood. It was the faint trail of this mortal's blood which had led him to the vampires.  
  
He bent closer to examine the young woman's face. It was bruised and covered with small abrasions-- there was a cut along her jawbone, and one on her left cheek. Her nose had been broken once and had healed slightly crooked, and an old scar that sliced through one of the eyebrows gave her a somewhat lopsided look. Her full lips were pale, as was the rest of her face.  
  
Her right side was sliced open-- she would need many stitches to close that wound-- and he could hear the broken ribs grating against each other each time she took a breath.  
  
Sesshomeru was known as an efficient and ruthless killer and a levelheaded fighter because he was rarely surprised and was able to adapt effortlessly to any situation. Whether there were three opponents or thirty, he would kill them with the same cold, effortless grace. But this young woman had surprised him, confused him.  
  
When he arrived, she smelled strongly of fear and had moved with the desperate strength of pure terror. But when she turned and saw her death watching her with cold yellow eyes, when she saw his bloody claws, the scent of fear had abruptly receded; her breath and heartbeat also evened out. Struggling to her feet, she had taken a single step toward him,. Moments before fainting, a thin smile had curved her lips. It had been a smile of triumph.  
  
Sesshomeru was accustomed to terror, curses, panic, screams, growls of fury, tears. All who saw him coming had the same fear in their eyes the moment that they died. But this girl-- this fragile human female-- had looked into his eyes and smiled as if she was victorious. It was strange and . . . intriguing.  
  
He lifted her carefully. Instead of taking to the rooftops, as was his habit, he walked on the sidewalks. His leaps were so powerful that he had used them to break the necks of full youkai. A fragile human, especially a badly wounded one, wouldn't survive the trip back to his apartment.  
  
The toad youkai woke with a start when Sesshomeru tapped on the door and hurried to open it. "My lord?!?" he squeaked with surprise. His master always used the balcony door when he returned from patrolling. Why should he use the humans' elevator? The toad continued, in a rising shriek, "What are you carrying, my lord? A HUMAN?  
  
"Jakkin, open the door to my bedroom. Bring me a washcloth, a towel, warm water, bandages, antiseptics and the medical kit. And shut up; do you want to wake Rin?  
  
"Y-yes, my lord. I mean, no, my lord. I mean- right away, my lord!  
  
The Demon lord worked for an hour cleaning the young woman's side wound, closing it with precise stitches, setting her ribs so they would heal correctly and binding her chest with bandages. He was rewarded with the sound of deeper, quieter breathing and the sight of some color returning to her cheeks. He tucked her under the sheet of his own bed before going out to the living room to sleep-- much to his toad servant's protests-- on a black leather couch.  
  
In the morning, he would decide what to do with his captive. The woman was, after all, a high-ranking member of the demon hunter's Council. Her value as a hostage, or a pawn, was inestimable. 


	6. Apologize

>>Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). Please send me a review!  
  
>>I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
>>Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Rin, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 5: Apologize  
  
"Go away, Miroku, I'm trying to study for my exams. And would you stop pacing, puh-leeze." Kagome was very annoyed at her older brother, who had been acting weird all evening. Miroku scowled and moved his pacing into the kitchen, where his grandfather was slurping miso soup.  
  
"Miroku, my boy, have I ever told you the history of miso? It comes from ancient--  
  
"I'm not in the mood, gramps," Miroku cut him off.  
  
"Oh? Then perhaps you'd like to tell me what it is that's bothering you? Not that you need to; at your age, it can only be one thing: girl trouble.  
  
Miroku stopped pacing and stared up at the ceiling. "Am I that obvious?  
  
"Yup. Only two things that can torment a man that much: girl trouble or constipation. Have you had some prunes?  
  
Miroku started to storm out of the kitchen.  
  
"One last thing, Miroku.  
  
"What?  
  
Miroku's grandfather looked at him with eyes that were suddenly clear and cunning. "Apologize to her. I've known women longer than you, boy, and if there's anything I've learned, it's apologize. Doesn't matter whose fault it was, just say you're sorry before she walks out of your life forever. Eh?  
  
Miroku finished storming out of the kitchen, sourly noting that this girl was very unlikely to walk away. Getting dragged away in a body bag was more her style. Damn her stubbornness! Couldn't she see that she wasn't the only one hurting?  
  
Miroku's mother was paying bills in the living room when he stalked in and threw himself down on the couch. "Honey?" She asked, "What's the matter?  
  
"Nothing, mom.  
  
She snorted. "I'm sure. You had a fight with your girlfriend. Don't give me that look, young man. You've been talking on your phone all evening, but every time you get a call you get more and more upset.  
  
"Yeah, we had a fight. She flew off the handle and started ragging on me because I had a family and a life outside of-- I mean, Ôcause my life wasn't all about her.  
  
"And?  
  
"And what? It was her fault.  
  
"Any idea why? Is it that time of the month?  
  
Miroku thought, "No, mom, at Ôthat time of the month,' she goes on 12-hour vampire-killing sprees and eats ice cream by the pint and swears that having kids can't be worth monthly cramps. What she doesn't do is go off on suicide missions and attack people who care about her." Miroku closed his eyes.  
  
His mother shrugged. "Maybe she's feeling lonely.  
  
Miroku felt a devastating pang of guilt. Yeah, she was lonely. Probably afraid of dying, too, but she doesn't know how to do anything but fight. "I should be with her.  
  
"I think you've figured out the solution." His mother smiled. "From what you've told me about her, she's a strong girl, but she probably has trouble asking for what she needs. If she's pushing you away, she needs you more than ever." She mock-scowled. "So what are you waiting for, young man? Get out of here; I don't want you to come back until you've told her you're sorry!  
  
"Yes, mother dearest. Right away, mother dearest.  
  
-------------------  
  
Miroku pressed his hand against Kura's door. The warding spell glowed softly and disarmed. Miroku used the apartment's spare key, guessing that she might refuse to let him in if he knocked. "Kura? Are you home?" No, of course not. She was undoubtedly out decimating the vampire population of the city. He supposed it was at least as effective as punching a pillow for pent-up anger, although he himself tried to be calm and in control when he fought: the spiritual powers were more effective when controlled.  
He found her cell phone on the counter; that was a bad sign. She only left that behind when she didn't want to be found. "Fine. I can wait." He sat down on the sofa, the same old one she had fallen asleep on the night they met. "Please, Kura, come home.  
  
-------------------  
  
At 5:30 AM, when the gray sky was lightening with dawn's approach, Miroku finally fell asleep holding one of Kura's sweaters. 


	7. Rude Awakening

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). Please send me a review!  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Rin, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 6: Rude Awakening  
  
Kura came awake slowly, the feelings of peace and safety she had felt in her dream lingering in her mind. The first thing she noticed clearly was the light. Her basement apartment had no windows, so she hadn't woken to daylight since she had run away from home four years ago. Next, she noticed the sheets: silk. So was the kimono wrapped around her, an expensive one that was purple with a white floral pattern.  
  
This felt wrong; it put her on edge. She started to roll over on her side to get a better look around, but stopped when a searing pain in her side left her breathless. "I must have been hurt last night," was her fuzzy thought. "But where am I?  
  
There was certainly no hospital emergency room as luxurious as this bedroom. An enormous picture window took up half of one wall; on the opposite were screen doors leading to a wraparound balcony. From the bed, all she could see outside was sky. "Hunh. I've been taken in by some filthy-rich good samaritan?" she wondered. "A good samaritan with a penthouse." Blinking, she was startled to find someone watching her.  
  
"Finally awake, are we?" The woman's voice and smile were cheerful and friendly, with the gentleness one associates with kindergarten schoolteachers. "How do you feel?  
  
"Fine." At least, that was what Kura tried to say. It came out as a croak.  
  
The young woman in the doorway laughed gaily and poured her patient a glass of water from a pitcher sitting on the mahogany dresser. "Drink this slowly. Your throat is going to be raw for a long time, I'm afraid. But don't worry, I've heard men find scratchy voices very sexy." She winked broadly.  
  
Kura didn't know exactly how to react. She wasn't completely comfortable with someone she didn't know acting so chummy. It would help if she had some idea where she was. Kura had a sip, choked, and began coughing. It hurt like hell, as if someone was scraping sandpaper along her windpipe. The young woman helped her sit up, and the coughing eased. "Who?" Kura croaked.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, me? My name is Rin. What's yours?  
  
Kura was somewhat surprised they were on a first-name basis already. "Kura. Where?" Kura gestured to the room.  
  
"This is my apartment. Well, it belongs to my foster father, actually.  
  
"How . . .did I get here?  
  
"Well, my foster father found you, and you were hurt, and he brought you up here." Rin was being evasive; Kura cursed herself for not being able to remember what happened last night. Who was this man who happened to find her on a deserted street after midnight? Kura rubbed absent-mindedly at the bruised muscles in her throat . . .  
  
She remembered dead hands strangling her, pinning her against a wall. Then pain in her side, a desperate flight, then nothing. Nothing except a pair of golden eyes.  
  
Kura sat straight up, and swore when the stitches in her side tugged. Rin was sitting on the bed beside her in a moment. "What's wrong? Does something hurt?  
  
Kura searched for a question that didn't sound suspicious. "I, ah, I just remembered that something was attacking me. A mugger, I mean. You father--he wasn't hurt, was he?  
  
Rin laughed again. "He can take care of himself. You needn't worry. Oh, are you hungry? All I know how to make are plain soba noodles, but add a bit of salt and they're really not bad." Rin continued to chatter as she headed towards the kitchen. Kura sagged against the headboard in relief. Safe. She didn't know how or why, but she was safe. She thought, "It was the moment the Nosferatu broke my staff. That was when I was certain I was going to die." She looked out at the blue sky, and marveled at the fact that she was still alive to see it. The details didn't really matter.  
  
When Rin came back with a tray and a steaming bowl of soba noodles, she found Kura dozing while sitting upright. "Here it is, the only dish I can make. Oh, and miso soup. Cold cereal too, but that doesn't really count, does it?" Kura let the words swirl around her, paying more attention to the food than its preparer. "If you'd prefer miso, I can make that too. Well, actually just heat it up. I got the kind that comes in a carton, and you just pour and heat. It's really not bad, once you get used to it. Well, unless you're picky; Sesshy said he'd rather eat the carton than anything that came in it, but he--  
  
Kura grabbed the girl's wrist as she was handing over a spoon. "What?  
  
" . . .I said there's miso, if you aren't picky like . . ." Rin stopped, horrified, when she realized her slip. "Gomen nasai, I wanted to tell you, but he said--  
  
"Never mind. Just tell me: Who. Is. Your. Father.  
  
Rin looked as if she was about to cry. "Sesshomeru-dono," she whispered.  
  
It was what Kura had been waiting for her to say, but it still made Kura shiver. Her stomach had clenched up in a knot. It made sense: she couldn't have escaped death so easily. It was perfectly reasonable that the person to find her wasn't a person at all, but a Demon lord . . .  
  
"Wait. That doesn't make any sense." Kura felt as if she was looking at an optical illusion, where everything seems to be normal but is in fact very, very wrong. Rin was human; Kura would bet her life on it. Had already bet her life on it, actually; grabbing a demon's wrist when too weak to defend oneself is one sure way to get killed. That meant . . . Sesshomaru had a human foster child? "Why?  
  
Rin was still looking guilty, but was also trying to free her wrist from Kura. "Why did he rescue you, you mean?  
  
"Yes, why me, and why you? Why any of this?" She made a vague gesture encompassing the apartment, the demon lord's territory and all of Tokyo. All of the pieces that described Sesshomaru didn't fit together. Who was he?  
  
Kura tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed, but was stopped by a frantic Rin. "Don't, you can't get up yet, you'll hurt yourself." Rin pushed her legs back under the covers. Kura stared at her, incredulous. Trapped in a demon lord's house, and Rin wanted her to worry about pulling a few stitches? "Wait-- Listen to me, Kura-chan!" Kura winced at the endearment. "Kura, if you try to run, he'll kill you.  
  
Kura snorted. "That's much more in character for him, don't you think? Kidnapping is beneath someone so powerful." Kura pushed Rin away from the bed and got to her feet.  
  
The room was rocking back and forth; she felt as if there was cotton inside her head, preventing her from thinking clearly. She staggered into the bathroom before retching, but there was nothing to throw up. Rin was beside her, pulling back Kura's hair from her face and wiping her forehead with a cold washcloth. A moment ago Rin had been panicked, but now she was self-possessed and completely in control of the situation. She helped Kura back to her feet and guided her to the bed. Kura was sweating and shivering, in too much pain to stop Rin from putting her to bed like a child that had a nightmare. Rin propped her up long enough to drink a foul-smelling herbal tea, then placed Kura's head on the pillow. She waited for three minutes while the breathing evened out and Rin was certain her patient was asleep. 


	8. A Mother's Instincts

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). Please send me a review!  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Jakkin, Rin, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 7: A Mother's Instincts  
  
Rin rinsed out the teacup, thinking sardonically, "Well, there's one thing I can make besides noodles; bad-tasting medicinal droughts." She snorted. "I may not be able to win a husband with my excellent cooking, but with everything Sesshy's taught me about herbs I'll be able to drug one with a sleeping drought and drag him home.  
  
"Uh, Rin?  
  
"Jakkin. What is it?  
  
"It's just that . . . well, I heard something and . . .  
  
"You were listening the whole time, I know. Remember, I'm the one who taught you how to eavesdrop through that hole in the closet.  
  
"Well, yes. What about--ah, her?" He stopped himself just before referring to the new human as "it.  
  
"She clearly isn't happy about being the prisoner of a demon-- few demon-hunters would be-- but I think she'll be fine once she calms down. She doesn't know what to expect, and that scares her." Rin dried the teacup meditatively. "Jakkin? When is last time you've seen Sesshy take an interest in a human? I mean, besides me.  
  
"Sesshomaru-dono," Jakkin replied, with emphasis on the title, "hasn't taken an interest in humans-- yourself excepted-- for years. The last time would be . . . well, it would be your mother.  
  
The next question was one Rin had never dared to ask before. "Did Sesshomaru . . . love . . . my mother?  
  
Jakkin was flabbergasted. He began to say, "No, demons never love humans," but stopped. Sesshomaru's half-brother, Inu-Yasha, was proof that was untrue. And there had been genuine, mutual affection between Sesshomaru's father and his second, human, wife. It couldn't be dismissed as only lust; insanity, possibly, but not lust.  
  
"Well, you've heard the story about how Sesshomaru met your mother, yes?  
  
"Of course. Sesshomaru avenged his father's death, but was hurt in the fight with the Nosferatu lord." She paused. "Was he badly hurt?  
  
"Don't be silly, it was just a small cut," Jakkin lied. The "small" cut stretched from Sesshomaru's left shoulder to his lower back on the right side. It had been so deep, Jakkin had seen the white bone of his lord's spine showing through. "But your mother was driving home from her night shift when she saw him walking down the sidewalk, and must have seen the blood because she went to help him, even though he was clearly a demon.  
  
Jakkin's memories of that night were still painfully clear. It was the only time in his centuries of service to Sesshomaru that Jakkin saw his lord fall. Sesshomaru was lying on his back on the cold cement of the parking garage where the final battle had taken place. He was as composed as ever, even bleeding to death. He told Jakkin how to contact Inu-Yasha, his only living kin. He demanded that Jakkin be quiet and stop blubbering. He ordered Jakkin to cremate his body and scatter the ashes on Mt Kurama. Jakkin's master's voice stopped, and there was only silence for a long, long time. Then a car pulled into the garage, and Jakkin's one good eye was blinded by the headlights. There was the slamming of a car door and footsteps. Jakkin prepared to die defending his dying lord; with a concussion, one eye swollen shut and a broken leg, there was little more Jakkin could do for his lord than die. A woman's voice was calling, asking if he needed help, and then there was a gasp as the woman realized that what she had supposed a dog was actually a toad youkai, and what she had supposed to be an unconscious woman was actually a demon lord. There were ten long seconds while Jakkin waited for her to run away, to scream, to attack them because they were monsters. Finally she spoke, and although Jakkin hardly heard the words, he knew a flicker of hope: this was a friend.  
  
She felt Sesshomeru's pulse and his checked his breathing, making small noises of anguish. "We need to roll him over; I can't see the wound." She was talking to Jakkin, asking for his help; Jakkin, who would have gladly died in penance for each drop of blood his lord had spilled.  
  
The bandage wasn't neat; it consisted of the shreds of Sesshomaru's shirt, the generous woman's coat and belt and a small child's raincoat that had been found in the car. Jakkin couldn't remember how he and the woman managed to put Sesshomaru into the car to be driven to the woman's apartment, or how they carried him up three flights of stairs. He did remember waiting for the water to boil--why was it taking so long?-- and hearing a young child waking and asking her mother questions.  
  
Then he felt the little girl put her arms around him--him, a toad youkai!--and she said, "Don't cry, he's gonna be all right. Mommy will kiss the cut and it will be all better.  
  
And now the child was grown, asking him if Sesshomaru loved her mother. Yes, Jakkin thought, if Sesshomaru loved your mother even half as much as I loved you that night, he loved her very much indeed.  
  
"Your mother helped bandage the small cut, and she offered her house to my lord. For the rest of her life, Sesshomaru made sure no demons bothered her, and he paid for her apartment. Later, he paid her medical bills when her insurance ran out. Sesshomaru started protecting the area where you lived; it was the first time he marked territory in the city.  
  
"I know all that, Jakkin. What I asked was if he loved her.  
  
Jakkin pursed his lips. Even if he said "yes" or "no," Rin wouldn't be satisfied. "He . . . he respected your mother very much. He was . . . puzzled, I think. Your mother's actions were kind, generous . . . to my lord, they probably seemed irrational, even suicidal. My lord has always lived by doing what helped him the most, and he was forced by his honor to go against his own interests . . .to help a human woman. He changed, because of her . . . Is that love?" 


	9. Kouga's Report

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). Please send me a review!  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Jakkin, Rin, Kouga, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 8: Report  
  
Jakkin's solemn monologue ended, and he waited for applause, or at least for Rin to say something nice about it. Instead, she draped the damp dish towel over his head and said, "I changed my haircut after I broke up with my last boyfriend. Are you telling me that was true love?  
  
"Completely different! And I never said anything about true love; you just asked if he cared, and I said yes, I suppose he did . . .  
  
There was an impatient knock on the apartment door; Jakkin hurried to open it for his master, who strode in, followed by a petite woman and a man almost as tall as Sesshomaru himself. Ignoring his foster daughter and his minion, the demon lord gestured to the couch where he had slept the night before and sat down in a matching reclining chair. Rin and Jakkin knew he was dealing with business, so they went to their own rooms so as not to disturb the taiyoukai. The small woman seated herself; the man sat down indecently close to her, yawned, stretched, and put his feet up on the coffee table before looking at the woman beside him with a wolfish grin. "Have we met before?" he asked her.  
  
"Very doubtful, Kouga," Sesshomaru interjected, "that is why she has not issued a restraining order against you . . . yet. Get your dirty feet off my table, get your dirty hands off my informant and try to stay as silent as possible.  
  
"You got it, boss," Kouga winked.  
  
The woman primly opened her notebook and continued giving her report; she had started half an hour ago but had been interrupted at least ten times. She was collected and precise, not to mention impossible to perturb. She had no moral qualms about working with demons, and she had her pepper spray in her breast pocket if Kouga decided to get any friendlier. "No specific threat has been determined, but demon activity has been increasing steadily for six weeks. Kills, reports of sightings by civilians as well as council members, and missing persons reports are all at levels three to four times normal levels. Even the civilian newspapers are running stories on murder sprees, cult groups and crime waves. More disturbing, in the past few weeks, several senior members of the Council have disappeared, presumed dead or turned. Senior Yumi Tanin reported missing the day before yesterday, senior Kura Sanada reported missing today; search in progress." Sesshomaru smiled after her last statement, which unnerved the informant so thoroughly she almost fidgeted.  
  
"Summary: increased activity in all sectors, cause unknown. Suspected involvement of a Nosferatu or demon lord. Council efficiency: fifty percent and dropping." The woman Sesshomaru hired to spy on Council for him paused and looked up. "Sesshomeru-dono, Council is overwhelmed. Taken alone, the loss of six--no, now it's eight-- rookies in a month would be crippling, but some mortality there is to be expected. The loss of three Seniors is far worse; Seniors are generally believed to be immortal. The Council hasn't been this worried since . . . since you sent them your letter, my lord.  
  
"Hmm. Dismissed. I'll expect daily reports until demon activity drops to normal.  
  
"Hai.  
  
"Oh, and one more thing. That female Senior reported missing today-- what was her name?-- Sanada. Get me her personal file and her profile as soon as possible.  
  
"Of course, my lord." Her curiosity was burning in her eyes. The woman showed herself out, reluctantly.  
  
"Kouga? Report.  
  
"That just about covers it. Lots of bestial demons coming in from all over Japan. There are more lower vamps in the slums than humans. So the million-dollar question is: what's bringing so many low-classes out at once?  
  
"Ah.  
  
"My lord? Is something troubling you?  
  
"No, no, I was just considering a bit of fortune I came across last night.  
  
"Good or bad fortune?  
  
"That has yet to be decided. I'll show you." Sesshomeru lead the curious wolf-youkai to his bedroom. When Kouga saw his master's secret, he let out a low whistle.  
  
"A human girl, my lord? I . . . I didn't realize your affections went in that direction. How is she, hmm?" Kouga gave him a broad wink, but his joviality was squelched by his master's icy stare.  
  
"Are your eyes as hollow as your head, baka?  
  
Chastened, Kouga looked again. "You've been a bit rough on her, haven't you?" He could smell blood and vomit. He noticed she was wearing a choker with some sort of pin on it. "Her necklace . . . that's the human form of a mate-marking, isn't it?  
  
"For someone who spends so much time chasing human females, you have learned very little about them. Human females are marked with diamond or golden rings and the assumption of her partner's name.  
  
"And human males?  
  
"The loss of bachelor living space and a curfew.  
  
"Harsh. I think I'd rather lose my name. So, what's a necklace symbolize?" Sesshomaru tugged on the choker; it came loose when one of the links holding the clasp snapped. The wolf-youkai caught it and sniffed. When he saw the sigil engraved on the silver pin, he dropped it, took a step back and stared at his master in disbelief. "My lord . . .  
  
"Know what it means?" Sesshomaru examined his claws minutely, but his follower saw the excitement crinkling the corners of his eyes.  
  
"It means death to my kind, and to every other kind of demon. Of all the women in Tokyo, you pick a Council Senior to take home? Are you absolutely insane?" Kouga knew instantly that he had crossed the line, although the only sign his lord made was a slight downturn of the corners of his mouth. "I'm sorry, boss, but . . . the Council has been feared for centuries.  
  
Sesshomeru regarded his follower thoughtfully. "Were you a young demon, I would regard this as cowardice. What you remember is the Council at the peak of its strength, when every man and woman with miko or monk blood was a Council sorcerer. You remember the families of demon exterminators who traced their roots to the Warring States era. That was a Council to be feared.  
  
"But what is the Council now? A few old hunters, high-school dropouts, yakuza gang members and rookies so young they wet themselves when attacked. The Council is dying, not just in this city but across Japan. And when Council is finished, this country will be ruled by demons once more.  
  
Kouga stared at Sesshomeru, speechless for the first time in his life. His lord had assumed a human identity 150 years ago and lived quietly since then. Among demons he was still feared, but humans never saw him and never heard of him. Seventeen years before, when Sesshomeru had challenged Council, he broke more than one hundred years of complete anonymity. Even now he was only a whisper among those living in his sector, a story to terrify children. Was Sesshomeru simply waiting for the Council to fall before reclaiming his title of "Lord of the Western Lands?" "How far does my lord's ambition stretch?" Kouga wondered.  
  
"You-- you're declaring war on the Council, my lord?  
  
Sesshomeru noted the new deference in Kouga's voice. "The Council is no concern of mine.  
  
"Then why . . .?  
  
"She entered my territory.  
  
Kouga was speechless again, for the second time in his life. "And you let her live? You commanded us--  
  
"I know what I ordered, but circumstances have changed. Seventeen years ago, Council was a threat. If they discovered my . . . pet, the situation would have become complicated." Kouga wasn't fooled by Sesshomeru's dismissive label; Sesshomeru would walk through hell to protect his foster daughter. "Leniency would only have encouraged more fools to challenge me.  
  
"What's different now?  
  
"Council is weaker, and its foes have become the greater threat to my territory. When the Senior entered my territory, she was seriously injured and pursued by vampires. I believe she may know the reason why demon activity is increasing." It was a good reason; it was a far better one than the real reason he had saved her. It had been instinct, an intuitive sense that she had an important role to play.  
  
Kouga smirked. "Plus, she's damned cute." Not that she was beautiful: the scar and crooked nose had added to a face already too quirky to be considered classically beautiful. The eyebrows were dark and thick, and the boy's bob accented a square jaw line. Yet the almond-shaped eyes and full lips softened the face and brought it into balance. "Any new orders, boss, or just keep my ear to the ground?  
  
"Why should you have your head on the ground?  
  
"Forget it. I'll get back to you as soon as I know anything new. Otherwise, call my cell." Kouga grinned at Sesshomeru's scowl; the cellular phone annoyed the Demon Lord to no end. "On the other hand, if the girl's here . . . I'll swing by tomorrow." 


	10. Fear and Pain

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). Please send me a review!  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Rin, Kanna, Yura, Hiten, Maten, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 9: Fear and Pain  
  
When Kouga had slammed the apartment door, Sesshomeru sat down at the desk in his room and sifted through the thick sheaf of papers he had received today. They were the reports of demons too far away or too unimportant to report to him directly. It was a disturbing trend. Kanna and Yura, his agents in Kyoto, wrote that demons and vampires were leaving the city. Hiten and Maten in Edo wrote that few vampires had not already left. The situation was starting to look like a demonic migration, but Sesshomeru had never heard of such a thing before. A strong demon or Nosferatu would attract followers, but no one was powerful enough to have such a large army.  
  
Sesshomeru found himself playing with the necklace, rubbing the engraved metal between his fingers. "Strange," Sesshomeru thought, "it is unlike me to fidget." He couldn't even remember picking the choker up after Kouga dropped it. He glanced at the broken link: it would be simple to repair, should he choose to.  
  
Sesshomeru noticed the instant the girl's breathing pattern changed. She was waking up. He leaned back in his chair and watched her open her eyes and slowly become aware of where she was.  
  
Kura was feeling much better; the herbal tea had eased the pain along with knocking her out. She felt anxious, though, and noticed her heart was beating fast.  
  
Most people would not have noticed the slight sweating, the adrenaline and or the increased heart rate. If they had noticed, they probably would attribute it to random nervousness. Kura, however, was a Council Senior. She had survived this long because she never ignored the small indicators her body gave her that she was in danger. She recognized her body's warning: a demon was near, within striking distance. She turned her head and found herself staring into the same golden eyes that had haunted her sleep.  
  
Sesshomeru heard her breath catch and held her eyes for perhaps twenty seconds before turning his attention to his immaculate claws. Released, Kura gasped for air and tried to control the fear that was quivering in every tensed muscle in her body.  
  
"I trust you slept well." The demon had a pleasant light tenor and spoke with a softness that should never be mistaken for gentleness.  
  
"What do you want?" Kura congratulated herself: although her voice was rough and scratchy, she hadn't stuttered and her voice hadn't broken; nor had she whined like a petulant child.  
  
Sesshomeru rose and walked to the bed. "Tall," Kura thought. "Why does he have to be so damned tall?  
  
"You entered my territory. Why?" he asked in a bored tone.  
  
"You were the lesser of two evils." No point in lying; he probably knew the truth already.  
  
"Lesser? Is that what I am?" The voice was still quiet, but it's disinterested menace seemed to suck all the air from the room. Kura stopped herself from blurting out an apology. "Tell me, girl, what was this Ôgreater evil?  
  
Kura bit her tongue and closed her eyes. What would Sesshomeru do if she told him that an old and powerful Nosferatu had come to Tokyo? One who claimed to be a Nosferatu lord. She considered what she knew of Sesshomeru: he's a cold, ruthless killer who murdered Council members and left their bodies in the street as a warning. On the other hand, his territory has the lowest death rate due to demons or vampires in the city; probably in the whole country. Apparently a control freak who can't stand the interference of other vampires or demons in his territory. Then there was the mystery: who was Rin, and what was her tie to the Demon lord?  
  
Sesshomeru might see the Nosferatu as a threat to his power and kill him. He might do nothing at all unless the vampires entered his territory. Or, he might form an alliance with the Nosferatu lord. These demon-vampire alliances were very common. If they combined forces, they would crush Council within the week.  
  
It was too dangerous to risk. "Go to hell.  
  
Sesshomeru's claws twitched, but his voice remained quiet and cool. "Do you want to die?  
  
Kura closed her eyes. "No," she thought, "I want to live. I want to see the Nosferatu lord destroyed. I have to apologize to Miroku. I need to tell Council where the Nosferatu is hiding so Council doesn't send any more to their deaths. Please, God, don't let me die here.  
  
Sesshomeru grabbed her chin, forced her to look at him. "The choice is simple, child. Tell me what I want to know, or die in agony." Kura shook her head, too terrified to speak.  
  
The Demon lord jerked the sheet off the bed and grabbed the young woman's obi, tearing it in two. Kura's fear was suddenly transformed into humiliated fury. "Get away from me," she snarled, aiming a blow at his windpipe. He caught it casually, bending the middle finger back until she gasped, then releasing it. She tried desperately to roll away from him, but he caught her by the throat and dragged her back, reaching inside her kimono to apply pressure to her broken ribs. She screamed silently; he was crushing her windpipe with his left hand. He was precise, increasing the pressure on the broken bones gradually until spots burst in her vision; then he backed off and released her throat so she wouldn't escape him by fainting. She curled into a fetal position and gasped for air, unable to control the shaking shoulders or the tears running down her face.  
  
Sesshomeru caught her chin again, forcing her to face him. "Shall I continue?" Her face was red and blotchy, she was trembling and he could see the whites of her eyes all the way around her irises. She whimpered.  
  
"No? Then tell me what power drove you into my territory." She said nothing. He tightened his grip until his fingers left bruises on her jaw line.  
  
Crying, she whispered, "No.  
  
The door opened, and Rin walked in. "Father?" She stopped suddenly, horrified. She knew that her father was a killer. She had seen him crack his energy whip and slice opponents into pieces. Once, she saw him take the head of a minion demon who had failed him. But killing was different from deliberate torture, and Rin had been calling the young woman by name only an hour ago. "Kura-chan!  
  
Sesshomeru cursed under his breath and let go of the prisoner. He should never have allowed Rin to see his prisoner, much less learn her name. "Rin, you should leave.  
  
Rin fled. Cursing, Sesshomeru was about to rub his temples when he noticed one hand was stained with blood. The girl's side wound was bleeding again. She had stopped crying, and was watching him with wide, unblinking eyes. He cursed again; if Kura knew Rin was his weakness, she would certainly tell Council, and Sesshomeru couldn't always be around to protect his foster daughter. Sesshomeru would simply have to kill his prisoner. But first, he had to talk to Rin.  
  
"Why?" Kura asked. Sesshomeru paused at the doorway, but didn't look at her. "Why is your daughter human?" There was a long pause, then Kura whispered, "And why didn't you kill me last night?  
  
The demon lord had turned to a statue. He wanted to snort in disdain and tell her that Rin was merely a pet and Kura a pawn, but the silence was telling the truth and Sesshomeru couldn't bring himself to interrupt. After a long moment, he left without speaking a word. 


	11. Council's Plan

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). Please send me a review!  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Kaede, Sango, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 10: Council's Plan  
  
"Out of the question.  
  
"Why the hell not?" Miroku demanded.  
  
"We cannot afford to send out a search party for every Council member who goes missing." Kaede, the Council head, was trying to be patient with the youngest and newest Senior. Meanwhile, his interruptions of the Council meeting's agenda was becoming intolerable.  
  
"I'm not talking about every member. I'm talking about Kura. And Yumi. Why won't you let me lead a team to look for them?  
  
Kaede tried reason, although she knew Miroku was barely listening. "First, we aren't sure Kura is actually missing. I know, I know," the older woman held up a hand to forestall Miroku's protest, "you said she was acting erratically after she heard of Yumi's disappearance. However, you haven't known her as long as some of us have. When she was still a rookie, one of the other rookies she was paired with was killed. Kura disappeared. She'd been on our list of presumed dead for eight days when she reappeared with no explanation of her absence. It is entirely likely she has taken another one of her Ôvacations' where she runs away from her problems.  
  
"How dare you--  
  
The Council head continued with determination. "Second, we do not know what we are up against. Until we find out, sector L is off-limits to all Council members; we can't afford to lose any more. Third, we haven't enough Seniors to patrol, much less go on a special search. Finally . . . Miroku, you are close to Kura.  
  
Miroku hoped he wasn't blushing too much. "So?  
  
As gently as possible, Kaede said, "If she has been turned, you cannot be trusted to accomplish your duty without endangering yourself and others.  
  
Miroku felt as if he had just received two powerful punches in the gut. He didn't know which was worse: Kaede telling him he couldn't be trusted to perform his duty, or the thought that Kura might have become a vampire . . . that he might be forced to kill her.  
  
Kaede saw an opening and took it. "Miroku, Yumi was my student. If I could do as I pleased, if I believed it would help her, I would be searching for her right now. But if we allow ourselves to be ruled by our emotions, more will die." Miroku slumped into his chair, defeated.  
  
"Next order of business," Kaede spoke briskly, "I have reported to the regional Council, and they have promised to send us reinforcements. According to the regional Council, other cities are seeing a decrease in supernatural deaths. Within two weeks, we will have an army of demon hunters." Kaede paused, looked around the table at the other gray, exhausted faces. There wasn't a single Senior who didn't have a wrinkled brow, tense shoulders and bags under their eyes. At the good news, the eyes were starting to come alive again, smiles were starting to show, hope was revived within weary hearts.  
  
She continued, "I propose a sweep through the city, concentrated around sector L. Search the slums, all abandoned buildings. Proceed west to the outskirts of Tokyo.  
  
"But Kaede-sama! That's the taiyoukai's territory . . .  
  
"Precisely, Saru. A cleaning sweep of this city is very overdue.  
  
Council sat in incredulous silence. Each member was wondering, "Is it possible to overthrow Lord Sesshomeru?  
  
"Regional will send us five squads, fifteen fighters each. Several are expert at fighting demons in particular. If there is any time to take down the Demon Lord, it is now." Kaede passed around photocopied packets. "The squads are profiled here. First squad led by Sango Himake. A team especially experienced fighting both bestial and humanoid demons. They do not have fighters practiced in fighting vampires; nor do they have any sorcerers." Kaede paused to consult her notes. "Saru, I have assigned you and Miroku to squad one. You both are accustomed to fighting vampires, and you know the area. Just remember, this fighting team is as close as a family unit. Don't get in their way. Turning the page, let us proceed to the second squad . . ." 


	12. Sesshomeru's Promise

Thanks so much for the reviews, Anandria! I'm going to start responding to reviews at the end of the chapters.  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Rin, Tessaiga or any other Inuyasha characters/symbols. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 11: Sesshomeru's Promise  
  
Several hours after Sesshomeru left, there was a gentle tapping on the door.  
  
"Rin? What are you doing here?  
  
Rin was holding the same tray she had held before. "You never got a chance to eat the soba noodles before.  
  
Kura could feel some of the tension in her shoulders ease. Even if Rin could offer no more than pity and plain soba noodles, it was comforting for Kura to know she had a friend. "Thank you, Rin-chan.  
  
The endearment sounded awkward to Kura's ears, but Rin smiled tremulously. "It's nothing, I just heated them up in the microwave." Rin avoided the other woman's eyes.  
  
Kura tasted the dish cautiously, then shoveled the noodles into her mouth. Plain, yes, but it was food. Kura couldn't clearly remember the last meal she'd eaten. "I'ss delis'ous," she mumbled through a mouthful.  
  
Rin put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile; her giggle was high-pitched and hollow. "If there's anything you needÉ" she began with false cheer, but her voice cracked. Tears welled up; the light's reflection shivered and danced in her watery eyes. "Kura-chan, I'm so sorry. Sesshomeru-dono said-- he said--  
  
The last of her composure dissolved. She sat down on the edge of the bed and wailed "He said he would have to kill you  
Kura's family had never been very physically affectionate, so it was awkward for her to put her arms around Rin. It was Rin who shifted their positions to be more comfortable as she sobbed with her head on the other woman's shoulder. "I know, Rin-chan. It's all right. I know.  
  
Rin pushed herself away so she could look Kura in the face. "Aren't you afraid to die?  
  
"I want to live, but there's nothing to fear from dying. I have a greater fear of the pain that comes before he kills me  
  
"Don't." Rin had stopped crying, and was now being the comforter. "Don't be afraid of that anymore. He promised-- he promised he wouldn't hurt you any more." With her arms around Kura's shoulders, Rin could feel the tensed muscles relaxing. "Kura-chan, I'm so sorry.  
  
"Thank you, Rin-chan." The young woman sniffed loudly and hurried from the room.  
  
Kura closed her eyes, at peace. There was only one more thing she needed to do.  
  
--------------------  
  
Sesshomeru was practicing sword strokes in a large room he had set aside as a martial-arts studio. He was practicing accuracy by slicing through the heads of pins that were jabbed into the wooden practice dummies. Under normal circumstances, Sesshomeru' accuracy could split a hair. Today, his anger was getting the better of him, and he missed the pin two times in a row. He ignored Kura, who had approached slowly and was now leaning on the door frame, watching his sword-practice. After several minutes, he deigned to acknowledge her presence, sheathing his Tesseiga and demanding, "What is it, Senior?  
  
Kura had been mesmerized by the display of martial arts. He was far more graceful than any dancer, although many powerful demons showed similar effortless smooth movement. She ruefully recalled being paired up with a rookie who complained that demons were just ballerinas from hell. Kura was so amazed by the Demon Lord's speed and skill that it took her almost twenty seconds to notice what was wrong: the wooden dummies were still intact. He slashed through them over and over, but there wasn't even a scratch on them. She was wondering about this when Sesshomeru's abrupt question startled her.  
  
"Oh. Sesshomeru-sama, you asked me what happened last night. What hurt me." She took a deep breath and said in a rush, "I fought an old vampire who claimed to be a Nosferatu lord. I was able to pin him down with a spell and escaped by running to your territory.  
  
Sesshomeru approached until he was standing two feet away from her. He could smell her sweat, and also the lingering stench of fresh blood: her wound had not yet reclosed completely. His low voice was almost gentle when he asked, "You expect me to believe that you fought a Nosferatu lord and lived? What proof do you have that he was a lord?  
  
She dropped her eyes. "He was ancient . . . I once fought a vampire who was two hundred years old, but this Nosferatu was older . . . probably more than twice as old. And he commanded at least two other Nosferatu.  
  
Sesshomeru was surprised. "They followed his orders?  
  
"I believe so. I killed two who were defending the Lord. There were at least fifty lower vampires guarding him as well. They must be turning every human they kill. Also, the Lord . . . he said something strange." She closed her eyes and was silent for so long Sesshomeru wondered if she had fallen asleep standing up, but she finally said, "He called himself Naru. He said that . . . when the Gathering comes, he will have ancient power and rule over everyone." She opened her eyes again, and was startled at the effect of her words.  
  
The Demon Lord's aura was crackling with power, as if he was in the midst of battle. His eyes glowed. One clawed hand caught Kura by the throat and lifted her into the air. He didn't choke her, but he pressed her carotid arteries closed with his fingertips.  
  
Kura croaked, "Sesshomeru-sama? . . . why?" Black spots were creeping in from the edge of her vision. Somewhere in her mind, a rational voice explained that the demon was cutting off the supply of oxygen to her brain.  
  
Sesshomeru bared his fangs and whispered, "If you are lying to me, woman . . ." He tossed her through the doorway; she landed heavily in the hall and stared up into his demonic eyes . . . All of the pain and fear of the past twenty-four hours tore through her chest. She pushed herself up into a crouch and leapt at him, clawing at his eyes like a wild creature.  
  
Sesshomeru was so taken aback by the woman's sudden beserker fit that he didn't even block; if not for his battle aura she might have landed the blow. As it was, he received only a small scratch on his left cheek as the aura crackled with energy and threw her the length of the hall; she smashed into a full-length mirror and slumped on the ground beneath it, panting and trembling.  
  
The Demon Lord watched. After two minutes of silence, Kura muttered, "You bastard. The information wasn't for you . . . It was for Rin. To protect her . . ." Kura's shoulders heaved as she began to sob. For a moment, it had seemed so easy to let go of this world. If he had just accepted her information and killed her, it would have been so easy. It was too late now; the moment's peace had been shattered like the mirror she was leaning against.  
  
Sesshomeru touched the scratch on his cheek, and his fingers came away stained with a thin line of blood. It was incredible that a mere human had inflicted a wound, however small, through his battle aura. For that moment, her spirit had blazed with true power from her rage and fear. Sesshomeru, who always fought with cool detachment and despised emotions, stood amazed by this human woman's passion.  
  
Kura put her hands on the floor next to her to push herself to her feet, and winced when shards of glass sliced deep into her flesh. Sesshomeru saw her wince, smelled the metallic scent of her blood. He commanded, "Stop!" Kura froze, terrified, but wouldn't look at the demon.  
  
Slowly, with dignity, Sesshomeru knelt beside the Senior and took her bleeding hands in his own. "Kura?" he said as gently as he could, and felt her stiffen with surprise and suspicion. She risked a glance at his face and her attention was transfixed by his liquid-gold eyes. "Forgive me, Kura, for doubting your gift." The shameful words tasted like bile in his mouth, but he continued, "You don't need to fear me, ever again.  
  
He picked her up with the same care he would have shown Rin, careful to avoid the fragments of the mirror that winked up at him from the floor. He carried her back to his own room. She was dazed with pain and confusion, but she rested her head against his chest, and smelled the musky odor of the demon's sweat. His body was so warm, and she felt so cold . . .  
  
Kura was mostly conscious while Sesshomeru carefully extracted the bits of glass buried in her cuts and bandaged her hands. He also changed the blood-soaked bandage on her side. Her skin was cool and becoming clammy from sweat. She had lost too much blood, and was unable to maintain her body temperature. With infinite gentleness, he slipped under the covers beside her and rolled her onto her right side so that her back was to him. He nested his own body against her back, tucked his right arm under her head as a pillow and used his left arm to hold her close. After a moment, her breathing became deep and regular, and her body warmed.  
  
Sesshomeru tried to remember the last time he held a sleeping woman in his arms besides his foster child. The demon women he had pursued over his lifetime would never spend the night after sex; that would have required trust and intimacy. This was true for most demons: Sesshomeru knew that his own parents had slept in separate bedrooms. And yet . . . his father's second wife, a young human woman, had slept every night in her husband's arms.  
  
Sesshomeru had hated his father for that disgraceful behavior. His father's perverse attraction to humans had been humiliating even before he married that human girl. Sesshomeru had found the stain of having a half-breed brother unforgivable.  
  
"So this is what my father, the fearsome Lord of the West, desired," mused Sesshomeru, "peace and intimacy." It was an unsettling thought; Sesshomeru had never before believed his father weak.  
  
What was terrible, though, was that Sesshomeru suspected the desire for intimacy had been passed down from father to son, and now poisoned his own blood.  
  
Reviews Responses:  
  
Anandria-- Thanks so much for putting up with Fanfic traffic to read my story. You're absolutely right, she put her life in danger, but remember that Kura's not only skilled but, as you noticed, she plans ahead and also thinks on her feet. She would have been fine if she hadn't gone after a Nosferatu Lord.  
--Miroku lives on the outskirts of the city, so Kura couldn't have reached him in time.   
--You could say she was suicidal when she ran into Sesshy's territory, but I think of it as a choice she made to die as a human rather than to be turned into a monster.  
--So far, I'm not planning on including the Shikon no Tama, just because I'm trying to create some mythology of my own. Read on, and you'll learn about the mystical power of the Gathering!  
  
Aelluvia-- Uh, no, I'm a Quaker, not a Sadist. Thanks for asking. Still, thanks for the review. 


	13. The Arrangement

In this chapter, you finally find out what I've been planning since I first came up with this story! Drumroll, please.  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Rin, Kanna, Yura, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 12: The Agreement  
  
It was late morning when Kura woke again and dragged herself out of bed. All of her cuts had closed, so she risked removing the bandages to take a long, hot shower. God, she loved hot showers, energy bills be damned! The hot water in her apartment was temperamental and limited, so she enjoyed the shower immensely, washing away the sweat and blood and grime. Opening the shower curtain, she was surprised to find that her kimono had been taken away and replaced with a fresh one. There were also clean towels. Blushing slightly at the realization that he had been in the bathroom while she was showering, she toweled off and slipped into the new kimono, which was dusty pink and trimmed in gold. Kura tried to remember the last time she had worn a kimono; when she was ten, perhaps? She couldn't help feeling somewhat naked, sheathed only in light silk.  
  
Following the scent of cooking led Kura to the dining room, where Sesshomeru was talking to a sleek laptop while eating beef-pot stew. Kura's stomach grumbled loudly. With hardly a glance at her, he waved her over and pushed out a chair across the table from him with a foot. The place was already set with porcelain dishes, and Sesshomeru indicated with another wave that she should help herself to the food and green tea.  
  
"But Sesshomeru-dono, the Council's patrols are decreasing. Isn't know the perfect time to seize Kyoto?" said a slightly electronic female voice from the laptop. Kura realized the laptop was acting as a video phone.  
  
"You have your orders, Yura. Tokyo is our priority, and the Council is relocating its agents from various cities to this one. They're planning a large-scale attack, and I want my servants here to meet it.  
  
"Hai, Sesshomeru-dono.  
  
"I have sent you your itinerary. The two of you are to take the train to Tokyo, then the subway to . . .  
  
"Why are we using human transport, my lord?  
  
"I wish to attract as little attention as possible to your movements. That is why I have sent you a schedule of the Council's patrols. You are to avoid contact with the Council. In addition, you will not attack any humans until further notice.  
  
"And if we are attacked?" asked a second female voice from the computer, this one deeper and slower.  
  
"You are to defend yourselves only. Do not retaliate. Those are your orders.  
  
"Hai," said each of the female voices in turn, and the screen went blank.  
  
Sesshomeru raised his eyes to the young woman sitting across the table, shoveling food into her mouth at an alarming speed. She saw his raised eyebrows and blushed; Sesshomeru noticed that her cheeks turned the same shade of dusty pink as the kimono she wore. It was Rin's kimono, so it was a bit too long and slightly tight around the chest and hips, but Kura looked beautiful in it. With a mental shake of his head, Sesshomeru tried to put things back in perspective. Beautiful? She had a crooked nose, her left cheek was puffy from bruising and she had sauce dribbling down her chin from trying to stuff too much in her mouth at once. He pushed her firmly from his mind and picked up a leather-bound book.  
  
Kura paused in her eating to stare at the book. It was larger than an encyclopedia, with yellowed and cracking pages. She stood up slightly so that she could read it, but was confused. "What language is that written in?  
  
"Japanese.  
  
"No it's not," Kura retorted, then blanched. "I'm sorry, I just meant that . . .  
  
Sesshomeru was smiling slightly. "You can't read it because it's a different writing system. Instead of kanji, it uses phonetic letters. It was developed by a very old, very wise kitsune.  
  
"Why didn't he use kanji?  
  
"Because they weren't invented for another thousand years." Sesshomeru continued, "This book isn't nearly so old, but it was written by a demon who was reluctant to give up the old ways.  
  
Kura glanced at the laptop. "You don't seem to have that problem." Sesshomeru grinned, and for a moment his eyes were as soft and warm as they had been the night before, when he had told her, "You don't need to fear me, ever again." Kura felt the blood hot in her face, and quickly looked away. There was an uncomfortable silence, then Kura ventured her question, "What are you going to do? About the Nosferatu Lord, I mean?  
  
Sesshomeru looked amused by the question. "Kill him, of course. Preventing the Gathering is my top priority.  
  
"The Gathering?" The Nosferatu had said something about gathering together as well. Was that the information that had made Sesshomeru so angry the night before?  
  
"Your Council didn't teach you much, did it? The Gathering is a ceremony where five Nosferatu Lords pool together their powers to create a Nosferatu Emperor.  
  
"Why haven't I heard anything about this before?  
  
"Nosferatu Emperors are very rare. There have been less than ten in all of history. Every time one arose, it required the combined powers of a Demon Lord and a powerful monk or miko, in addition to a sizable army, to overthrow him." All of the color had drained from Kura's face. "Clearly, the best option at this time is to prevent the Gathering ceremony from being completed.  
  
Kura leapt to her feet. "Then why the hell are you just sitting there?  
  
Sesshomeru just watched her until, resentfully, she sat down again. "First, his army is too large for me to take on single-handed. I have called my warriors to my side; we will attack together when they arrive. Second, a powerful monk or miko is needed to break the ceremony's mystical barriers. Though I have some in my service, none are strong enough for the task. Third, your Council is planning to attack me within the week.  
  
Kura opened her mouth in shock and said defensively, "We don't have the manpower to--  
  
"Today you don't. Tomorrow, seventy-five demon hunters from the national Council will descend on the city to deal with the current crisis. On the way, they've decided to clean up old messes as well." Sesshomeru smiled bitterly and added, "I know Kaede has been waiting a long time for the opportunity to get rid of me.  
  
There was a pause, then Kura asked, "What can I do?  
  
"You can't do anything.  
  
"Oh?" Kura's eyes narrowed. "Then why are you telling me all this? You don't seem the chatty type, so I assumed there was something you wanted from me. Do you want me to ask Council to delay their attack until after you've taken out the Nosferatu Lord?" Sesshomeru looked at her sharply, and his body tensed, waiting for what she would say next. "Or . . . are you asking for Council's help?  
  
Sesshomeru's eyes flashed with rage. "You DARE . . .? I will never beg for the aid of human scum!  
  
His anger hit Kura in the stomach like a physical blow, knocking the air out of her. "Sesshomeru-sama, please! I never said that. I only meant that . . . the Nosferatu Lord must be stopped, and the only way to do that is for humans and demons to work together . . .  
  
Sesshomeru's anger eased, but didn't dissipate. "Your Council doesn't think it needs help. Why should I go to them?  
  
Kura wanted to yell. Of all the self centered, arrogant--! He was acting childishly prideful, when the entire city was in danger. With difficulty, she said politely, "They do not know what they are facing, Sesshomeru-sama, and they do not know that you care about humans--  
  
"I don't.  
  
"They don't know you care about a specific human, then, or that you want to kill the Nosferatu Lord. You know that your interests and Council's align. You have to take the first step by offering a temporary alliance." Sesshomeru stood and turned his back to her. Kura reached for him and cried in desperation, "I'm begging you, my lord!  
  
Sesshomeru blinked. He was, once more, taken completely off-guard. He had expected her passion outburst, but not this. She had called him "my lord." Was she serious in her offer to serve him?  
  
The demon lord knew that he needed Council's help, had known from the moment the girl had said the word "Gathering." The reason he had become so angry then was because he had suspected that Kura knew this and was trying to manipulate him into helping Council. He had then decided to use the girl as a bargaining chip, to force Council to help him in exchange for Kura's safe return.  
  
To go to Council, to beg them to help him, would be too humiliating. However, if he was to merely offer a temporary alliance . . . After all, it was a Council Senior who had begged for his help . . .  
  
"IF I were to offer Council a temporary alliance, would you agree to serve me until the Nosferatu Lord is defeated? Regardless of Council's answer?" Sesshomeru didn't know why he cared, but he did.  
  
"Yes, my lord," Kura whispered, her voice trembling with hope.  
  
Sesshomeru nodded once and went around the table to stand beside her chair. He said tersely, "Tomorrow, the Council's Seniors are meeting at 8:30 to plan their attack. You will go as my representative and offer a temporary alliance to destroy the Nosferatu Lord and prevent the Gathering. You are to offer nothing else. You will not reveal my location or the existence of my foster daughter. You will then report to me within the hour. Is that clear?  
  
Tears streaming down her cheeks, Kura slid off the chair to kneel before him. "Thank you, my lord. I will not fail you." 


	14. Sango's Charm

We haven't heard from Miroku in a while . . . How's he coping after Kura's "death"?  
  
I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, Sango, Kohaku, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 13: Sango's Charm  
  
Miroku left his motorbike parked outside the hotel and searched for room number 349. When he found the door, he took a deep breath and knocked.  
  
The young woman who opened it had a cheerful face and was wearing, Miroku noticed immediately, a rather short skirt. Taking in the hint of perfume and the stylish wedges, Miroku realized that he had made a mistake: this clearly wasn't the room the Demon Hunters were staying in. "So sorry," he said, with a hint of a flirtatious smile, "I think this is the wrong room.  
  
As he turned to go, the woman asked, "Miroku? It's me, Sango. We spoke on the phone." Miroku stared at her, bewildered. This was the leader of a squad from the national Council? She was too . . . well, pretty. And fashionable. And much too cheerful. "Won't you come in?" she asked.  
  
The squad had rented a suite of rooms, but even so every inch of floor space was covered with sleeping bags. Sango introduced him to all of her fighters. The first one was a grinning, wide-faced young man named "Yuhi," who Miroku identified as the second-in-command. The rest of the names and people became jumbled in his mind until she said, "And last, this is Kohaku." Miroku looked into the brown eyes of a shy boy who could not have been older than fourteen. He was the same age as Miroku's own little sister, but he was on a fighting squad!  
  
Sango smiled at his confusion. "Not quite what you expected, hm? Don't be fooled. My brother Kohaku and I have been active Council members since we were ten years old, and exterminating demons is in our blood. We may not look like warriors, but the fifteen of us get the job done." Sango's grin turned mischievous as she added, "On the other hand, right now we just need to relax. Why don't you show us around Tokyo, Miroku?  
  
Miroku blinked, and held up the folder he was carrying, labeled "Council-approved techniques for the extermination of the undead." He said, "I thought you wanted to talk about tactics and killing vamps.  
  
Sango said, "Sure, sure, but can't we do that later? We just came off a tough assignment in Kyoto, and I've never been to Tokyo before. It would be such a waste to spend the whole day studying. Come on, guys, let's go!  
  
Miroku found himself showing the team around places in Tokyo he liked, and enjoying it immensely. Everyone in Sango's group was relaxed and cheerful, as if they really enjoyed coming to fight vampires and demons.  
  
"We do, of course." Sango replied when he asked her about it over lunch. "We wouldn't be demon hunters if we didn't like the life.  
  
"How can you enjoy risking your lives?" Miroku retorted, stung.  
  
"Is it dangerous? Yes. But we're all together in this. We don't just fight together. We live together, work together, and we party together.  
  
"Like a big happy family?  
  
"You could say that.  
  
"Do you die together, as well?  
  
Sango's smile faltered. "Miroku, you seem a bit hostile; is something bothering you?  
  
"I just don't see how you can eat sashimi and shop for shoes and accessories, when you could DIE the day after tomorrow! Don't you care?  
  
Sango set down her chopsticks. "There's always the chance of dying tomorrow. Should I stop eating or having fun?  
  
Miroku scowled. "You don't understand how serious this is.  
  
"Listen to me for just a minute. Tokyo's Council has been stretched to the snapping point. With so many deaths in your ranks, and an unknown threat, of course everyone is scared and sad." Sango waved to her friends and continued, "My team faces danger when we're in battle, but we haven't had to deal with the deaths of friends or the horror of fighting an impossible battle, at least not recently. Don't judge us because we aren't as shell-shocked as Tokyo Council's members.  
  
Miroku played with the rice on his plate, ashamed of his attack. All his family members had tiptoed around him recently, afraid that they would set off his anger. He felt as if he was turning into a monster.  
  
Sango reached across the table and put her hand over his. Miroku was grateful that the squad's members had chosen to sit at several different tables around the restaurant, so he and Sango were alone at a table. She said gently, "Did a friend of yours die recently?  
  
"NO! She isn't dead, she's just missing!" The outburst was somewhere between denial and a plea. Sango looked at him with pity, and Miroku felt his cheeks burning with shame.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sango asked, deliberately casual.  
  
"What?  
  
"I don't know you, and I'll be leaving in a week. I won't offer advice, I won't judge you, and I certainly won't tell you how you should cope. I'm just a stranger who's willing to listen to anything you want to say." Miroku was silent, unwilling to admit how much the offer tempted him. Sango leaned across the table and said, "Is there anywhere around here I could buy you a beer and we could talk in private?  
  
They sat opposite each other in a private booth in an American-style bar. Miroku fidgeted, carefully peeling the label off his beer bottle. "I . . . I really don't know what to say . . .  
  
"Why don't you tell me about her?  
  
Miroku shrugged, feeling slightly silly sitting here talking to a complete stranger when he hadn't even told his family that Kura was missing. "Well, she's not like you at all. She acts tough, and she gets really angry sometimes. Killing vampires is the most important thing in her life; that's why she was constantly getting fired from her regular job.  
  
"Regular job? You mean, she wasn't employed by Council?  
  
"You can't feed yourself on a Tokyo Council Senior's wages. I still live at home, but Kura juggled part-time work with demon hunting so she could pay her rent. Still, she never cared about her other jobs; it was like she was settling a personal score with every vampire.  
  
"A personal score? Did something happen to her family or a friend?  
  
Miroku shrugged. "Beats me. She didn't have many friends, she never mentioned a family.  
  
After a long, uncomfortable pause, Sango asked tentatively, "What happened? Did she just-- disappear?  
  
"No. She had a death-wish. Her mentor disappeared, and Kura just . . . I guess the only way she could deal with it was to lash out at everyone: vampires, coworkers, friends . . .  
  
"You had a fight?  
  
Miroku shredded up the beer bottle's label. "Yeah. Then she went out without backup, without her cellphone, without telling anyone where she was going. Now, I can't even tell her I'm sorry about what I said just before she left." Miroku made a fist and punched the table as hard as he could. "Or wring her damned neck for being so reckless!  
  
Sango sat quietly while Miroku tried to get control of himself, then gave up and began to cry. It wasn't graceful; his anger and grief and guilt all melted together into violent, racking sobs that tore out of his throat. When his tears subsided, Sango asked, "Feel better?  
  
"Actually, I've got a headache now. But yeah, I've been needing to let that out.  
  
"Good. Now let's get out of here. There's a cute little boutique we passed on the way here; I want to check it out before we meet up with the others.  
  
Miroku smiled weakly. "You're really nothing like her.  
  
"Comes from loving my job. That's something you should try to remember, as soon as Tokyo is no longer besieged by the supernatural.  
  
Her smile was completely natural, and her excitement at being in the city was contagious. By the time they returned to her apartment, Miroku was convinced that she was the most carefree girl in the world. After going over battle tactics, with her that evening, he was forced to admit that she was also very sharp. At Miroku's house that evening, his family noticed a huge improvement in his mood. While loading the dishwasher, his mother told his grandfather how happy she was that he and his girlfriend had finally gotten over their argument. 


	15. What Dreams May Come

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad you're reading this story, as it is currently my favorite (and longest). So sorry it's been so long since my last posting. Please send me a review!

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomeru, Jakkin, Rin, Koga, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 15: What Dreams May Come

"Boss, I bought the stuff you wanted," Koga called as he entered Sesshomeru's apartment. "What should I do with the bags?"

"Bring them in. Koga, I would like you to meet Sanada Kura."

Sesshomeru, Kura, Rin and Jakkin had just finished eating the meal Sesshomeru had prepared. He was be a demon lord, but he was also an excellent cook. Kura looked up at the visitor in surprise. He was another demon, attractive in a cocky way.

"Ah, the lady. I assume these items are for you?" Koga drew closer, and Kura noticed he smelled strongly of cheap cologne. He handed her the two shopping bags, and Kura pulled out a pair of formfitting slacks, a leather belt with knife sheaths, and a pair of side-zip leather boots. In the other bag she found a tank top similar to the one she had been wearing when she first encountered Sesshomeru, only this one had no tears or bloodstains, and it was made from silk; there was also a set of throwing knives and a jacket lined with fleece but made from raincoat material.

"It's the lightest, most flexible armor money can buy," Koga told her. "Look." He stabbed the jacket with one of the knives, but the knife couldn't penetrate the weave or slice through the fibers. "Impressive, eh? Oh, and this is yours, too." He handed Kura the choker bearing the Council's crest, the broken link repaired.

"I thought I'd lost it," Kura admitted. "Why are you giving me all this?"

"Don't look at me," Koga said defensively, "It was bossman's money and instructions."

"I destroyed your old clothes; I cannot abide the smell of vampire blood. Replacing them wasn't a concern at the time, but now that you have agreed to serve me, proper attire was a necessity." Sesshomeru's voice had a hint of disgust, and it pleased Kura immeasurably to know he didn't approve of her style.

Rin leaned over. "Cool pants. Could I try them on?"

"Absolutely not, Rin. Masculine garb may be appropriate for a fighter, but it is not appropriate for the daughter of a demon lord." Sesshomeru glared at Rin, who muttered, "Phooey," and sat back in her chair. Kura covered her grin with a hand. Even the fabled Lord of the Western Lands couldn't squelch Rin's unruly disposition.

Kura fumbled with the catch of the choker. Her hands were still stiff from the glass cuts. Koga reached over to help, and took the opportunity to bury his nose in her hair and lick her ear. The demon hunter's reaction was instinctive: she leaned her head back with enough force to knock the wolf demon down.

"Perhaps it would be better if I helped, hmm?" Sesshomeru asked, and there was a hint of a smirk at the corners of his mouth. The demon lord's hands were cool against her throat, and Kura told herself firmly that was the only reason she felt a shiver down her spine. His fingers traced the choker, ensuring that there were no twists and that the sigil was in front, resting over her adam's apple. He ran delicate fingers, feather-light, over the sensitive skin where the jawbone meets the neck. Kura could feel the blood rushing to her face, and she moved her head a fraction of an inch forward, shrugging off the slight caress. Was she only imagining that Sesshomeru's care was rather . . . personal? Or was he teasing her?

At her rebuff, the demon lord stiffened abruptly. He picked up the empty serving dish with white-knuckled hands. Rin, fearing broken crockery, assured her foster father that she would take care of the dishes. "Good night," she chirruped and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I have University classes in the morning, so I'll be home at--"

Sesshomeru cut in, "No, you will stay with a friend tomorrow night. One of your friends who lives outside the city." His voice allowed no disagreement.

"Hai, Sesshomeru-sama," she agreed quietly. "I'll call Megumi."

"Jakkin? You will accompany her, but remain hidden."

"As you wish, my lord," the toad demon agreed with a bow.

At 3 AM, Sesshomeru gave up on getting to sleep that night. The stakes of this gamble were simply too high for him to relax. He got up from the couch paced in the darkness. He decided to use some of his nervous energy in a workout, but he stopped outside the main bedroom. Kura was crying. He pushed open the door, and heard her say, "Oneechan, gomen nasai. Neechan . . ." She was having a nightmare, and Sesshomeru thought she looked defenseless and childlike. Like Rin. "Neechan!" she yelled, and flung her arms out, twisting and turning. "SISTER!"

"Kisama, if you don't stop that, you'll wake Rin," Sesshomeru said. He caught her wrists and continued, "Kura, wake up. Kura."

The young woman's eyes didn't open, but she cringed away from the demon and said, "Don't hurt me. Please, stop!" Sesshomeru was confused; was she awake or not? "Neechan, it's me. It's me! Sister, you're hurting me." Kura twisted and struggled in a sudden, convulsive surge, then went limp.

"Well, it's over now," Sesshomeru thought as he released her wrists and took a step toward the door. Then he heard her crying again.

He heard the whisper, "What have I done? Oh my God . . . Forgive me, sister, please . . ." Sesshomeru growled in annoyance and grabbed her shoulder to shake her awake, but she curled against his arm like a cat. Cautiously, he sat in the bed and placed her head in his lap. The words soon stopped. After several minutes of stroking her short, fine hair, the weeping also ceased. She slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep. Sesshomeru's head nodded, and he also fell asleep, his chin resting on his chest and the demon hunter curled around his legs.


	16. Warning Council

Sorry, there are going to be a whole BUNCH of cliffies in a row! I've been saving them up just for you!

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomeru, Miroku, Sango, Kaede, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 16: Warning Council

Miroku knew he should be paying attention to Kaede's briefing, but he was staring across the table at Sango instead. She looked up from her notes and smiled at him, and Miroku felt a tingle of excitement. "What's wrong with me?" he thought angrily, "Kura disappeared the night before last, and I'm already falling for another girl?" Now Sango was chewing on the end of her pen, and Miroku had never found the habit so adorable.

The door opened and Kaede stopped, annoyed at being disturbed in the middle of a meeting. "This is a private-- Oh my God."

"Sorry I'm late," Kura quipped, but her voice was subdued. "I have some important informa--"

"Sanada Kura, where the hell have you been?" It was Kaede who said it, but it easily could have been any of the Tokyo Council Seniors. The national demon hunters looked at each other in confusion. Sango looked over at Miroku, who had turned to stone.

"I've come to warn you. The monster is a Nosferatu lord whose army is based in sector P. He has summoned four other lords and is planning a Gathering. We have to stop him."

Kaede was growing impatient. "What are you talking about? How do you know this?"

"The Nosferatu Lord told me just before crushing my ribs."

"Kura, slow down. Where have you been? Why didn't you call in? And what is this story about a Nosferatu lord?"

"That doesn't matter. What's important is that Naru is incredibly powerful, and he has summoned other powerful Nosferatu lords to a mystical ceremony that could make him exponentially more powerful. Council, and all of Tokyo, are in danger."

One of the national demon hunters spoke up. "That is why we are here, miss. Don't worry, we can handle this mystical ceremony or whatever. No need to fret."

Kura's voice remained calm and reasonable, although she was feeling the beginnings of panic. "With all due respect, sir, you don't know what you're talking about. He has an army of over fifty lower vampires, and likely Nosferatu as well. Se-- I mean, someone I talked to about the threat believes that lower demons will also join him, and warns that demons and vampires at all levels are making their way to Tokyo. Council can't eliminate the threat alone."

Kaede said sharply, "Council has always stood alone against the darkness."

"But it doesn't have to be that way this time. Someone has offered a temporary alliance in order to destroy the Nosferatu lords and their army before the Gathering occurs. Our potential ally is strong and knowledgeable about the enemy. He's our only chance . . ."

Suspicion was plain in Kaede's tone when she asked, "And who is this super hero?"

"The demon lord Sesshomeru."

Everyone was shouting at once, most questioning Kura's sanity or dismissing it as "too risky." Kura ignored them and focused on Kaede, who would make the actual decision to accept or reject Sesshomeru's offer. The old woman held up her hand for silence, and the other demon hunters quieted instantly.

"Tell me, child . . . Have you spoken with Sesshomeru-sama?"

"Yes. I . . . I was his prisoner, but he . . ."

"Sesshomeru-sama is an impressive man, isn't he?" Kaede mused as if speaking to herself. "He seems as if he is a merciless fiend, but he actually cares, hm?"

Kura was taken off-guard, but overjoyed that Kaede was going to agree. "Yes, Kaede-sama, you understand."

"Yes," Kaede agreed, but with an edge in her voice. "I understand perfectly. I know that Sesshomeru-sama can be very charming when he wants something. I also know that he is an expert at manipulation."

Kura clenched her fists, furious. "No, that's not it at all . . ."

"Don't be stupid, girl. Are your eyes hollow? The demon lord learned that Council was finally going to destroy him, so he told you some fairy tale about a Nosferatu lord and wanting to help us." Kaede glared at the young woman, who glared back. "The demon lord played you for a fool, Kura."

Kura flushed, humiliated. She couldn't look at her colleagues, especially not Miroku. What did they all think of her? Worse, there was a tiny, nagging doubt. Was Kaede right? Had Kura let herself be manipulated? "No. You're wrong. He was telling the truth, I know he was. If Council won't help, I'll go alone."

"Child, I can't let you jeopardize the mission. Katsura, Hanmi, stop her."

"No! Stay away from me!" The two guards grabbed Kura, and one of them accidentally bumped her ribs. Kura's scream of pain was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. Sesshomeru's energy whip had sliced around the edges of a window's frame, and the demon now crouched in the gap in the wall, his battle-aura crackling and his eyes glowing like embers.


	17. Kaede's Trap

I warned you about the cliffies! By the way, this is probably my favorite scene.

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomeru, Miroku, Sango, Kaede, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 17: Kaede's Trap

Miroku had leapt to his feet the moment he heard Kura scream, but he turned in time to see the window fall in and smash on the floor. A few Seniors grabbed weapons, but Sesshomeru's energy whip dazzled them and sliced their blades in two before they had even approached. Sesshomeru spoke, his voice quiet: "When Tokyo has burned to the ground, I want you fools to remember that you had the chance to stop it. Release the young woman. If you have harmed her, I will tear your arms and legs off." There was no emotion in his voice.

Miroku pulled a warding spell from his pocket and threw it at the demon lord. It struck the battle aura and was incinerated. "Kuso," Miroku cursed, reaching for another even as the demon raised his right hand.

"Stop, Sesshomeru-sama! Don't!" Kura freed herself from the stunned guards and ran to the demon. "Please don't hurt him." As she approached the aura, Sesshomeru lowered the barrier to avoid hurting her.

At the instant Sesshomeru lowered the barrier, Kaede yelled, "Shin!" Along the walls, hidden spell-sutras flashed to life. Within a second the spell-circle was completed. The demon lord staggered, as if a heavy weight had been dropped on him.

Sesshomeru watched in horror as the ceiling melted and ran down the walls to the floor, that was spinning up to meet it. Objects were magnified when the drips passed behind them. Nauseous colors swirled. He was unsure exactly which direction was down; it was as if he was floating in water. Sounds came from every direction at once. He flailed out with his arms, warning the demon hunters to keep their distance. Someone was calling his name, but he couldn't remember how to speak to answer.

Kura was frantic. "Sesshomeru-sama! Sesshomeru!" His movements were jerky and unbalanced, as if he was drunk or blind. Her fingernails scrabbled at a sutras, trying to scrape it off the wall. It burned her fingers, but she bit her lip and continued scratching. She had failed to convince Council, and now Sesshomeru would die for trusting her. No! She couldn't fail this time. "Miroku, help me! The spell . . . Miroku, please, I need you to break the spell."

Miroku felt his stomach lurch. She was asking him to defy Council to save the life of a demon lord. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. The last time Kura had asked for a favor, Miroku had refused to give her the miko blood. It had nearly killed her. Miroku couldn't refuse again. He closed his eyes and raised his voice in a chant, but knew it would be fifteen seconds before the counter-curse would take effect.

Kura placed herself between Sango, who was preparing to throw a spear, and the target. "Idiot!" Sango snapped, "Get out of the way."

Although all of his regular senses were befuddled by the spell, Sesshomeru sensed that one of the demon-hunters was approaching on his left. His special abilities were thwarted by the spell-circle, so he was unable to summon the energy whip or the battle aura. He attacked with his claws, striking with the speed of a hunting heron. He felt his hand connect with flesh and tore through it, he felt the warm blood dripping down his arm. The blood-scent was intoxicating and . . . familiar.

Miroku spoke the last words of the counter-spell and felt it take effect, tearing the sutras in two. He opened his eyes.

The numbness and vertigo left Sesshomeru as quickly as they had come, allowing him to see clearly. He could see that his claws had dug deep into Kura's back, severing the brachial artery and almost removing her arm. He could hear the gurgle of blood entering the punctured right lung. Her eyes were wide and fixed, staring at Sango.

Someone was screaming and cursing; Miroku was mildly surprised to find that it was his own voice. He leapt over the conference table and caught Kura as she slumped forward. Kneeling, he hugged the body close to his chest, though he knew she was already dead.


	18. Sesshomeru Chooses

SORRY about that cliff-hanger! Ow! Hey, stop hitting me! And no more hate-mail, please!

Kura and Sesshy both start to lower their guards, finally. Now that they trust each other, can they still hide their growing attraction?

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomeru, Miroku, Sango, Kaede, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 18: Sesshomeru Chooses

"The gamble failed," Sesshomeru thought, "Now it's time to cut my losses." The human boy holding Kura's corpse looked up at the demon lord, snarling with hatred. A lover, perhaps? Sesshomeru watched him with cool disinterest.

The demon lord wondered why he hesitated. Sesshomeru's hand grasped the tensaiga automatically. "Am I trying to save her life?" he wondered. "Why do I care? Her usefulness has expired." And yet . . .

Sesshomeru unsheathed the tensaiga; the metal rasped against the sheath. "Don't move, boy," he warned, and raised the mystical weapon.

Miroku blanched. What was the demon doing? Kura had just died trying to protect him. Now he was intent on mutilating her corpse? The monk raised his right hand as if to catch the sword, and he raised his spirit shield with the same motion.

Sango watched the shining blade descend, slicing through Miroku's spirit shield, wrist and torso, but stopping an inch above the young woman's body. A second stroke sliced Miroku in half at the waist. The demon lord sheathed his sword and held out his hand to his victims. He asked with detachment, "Can you stand?"

Miroku stared at his right hand. He had felt the blade pass through his wrist, but his hand didn't fall off. Nor was being bisected particularly painful, although he had expected it to be. He had just shifted his bewildered attention from his own hand to the demon lord's offered hand, when he felt Kura sit up in his lap. The shirt was still torn, but there was no trace of the wound that had killed her. "Miroku? Sesshomeru-sama?"

Sesshomeru pulled her to her feet and put an arm around her waist, lifting her off the ground. A short jump landed them on the windowsill. Looking down at the street five stories below, Kura gasped and grabbed onto Sesshomeru with a death grip.

Having a terrified woman clinging to his neck made the demon lord a more comical figure leaving than entering. He leapt to the roof of another building across a narrow alley, where he had waited while Kura tried to negotiate a deal. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop was not Kura's favorite form of travel. Her stomach lurched horribly each time, and she was certain Sesshomeru's grip would slip and she would splatter on the street below. Ten minutes later, they landed safely on the roof of Sesshomeru's apartment building. He struggled to unlock her arms from around his neck, but then was forced to support her anyway because her knees refused to hold her weight.

"You aren't afraid of heights, are you?" Sesshomeru teased.

"I sure as hell am now," she snapped back. "Why'd you do that? Half of Tokyo must have seen you."

"How often do you look up?" he asked. "No one ever looks at the tops of skyscrapers. Even if they did see me, the human mind has a remarkable ability to reject the truth when it doesn't suit them."

Kura was forced to admit that was true. Even those attacked by vampires claimed that the assailants were "muggers" or "yakuzas."

Kura fingered the edges of her torn shirt. There wasn't even a scar where the demon lord's claws had torn into the muscle tissue. Her broken ribs were also miraculously healed. Sesshomeru watched her brow furrow in confusion. "I thought . . . Was I dead?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Did Miroku . . .?" No, it couldn't have been Miroku: the monk didn't have healing powers.

"Miroku? Is he the boy with the spiritual powers? The one who broke Kaede's spell? He was quite upset that you had been killed, but he didn't have the power to revive you. Can you stand now?"

"Hunh? Oh, yes, I can . . ." Sesshomeru turned his back on her, walking to the rooftop's access stairs. "Wait! Sesshomeru-sama, what happened? Who brought me back to life?"

"Tensaiga."

"Who's that?"

"The Graverobber, the legendary Sword of Life, Tensaiga."

"Your sword brought me back to life?"

"For the third time, yes." He pulled open the door and descended to his penthouse apartment.

"Wait, Sesshomeru," Kura called behind him. Sesshomeru paused, trying to formulate an answer to her inevitable question. "Sesshomeru, I . . . Thank you."

Sesshomeru snorted. "My warriors will be gathering here shortly. Try to stay out of our way."

Kura was slightly annoyed by his cold response. She wondered sarcastically, "What did I expect? A declaration of eternal love?" Kura poked around the kitchen, but couldn't find any Ramen Noodles or anything else she knew how to prepare. Disgruntled, she went to lie down on her bed . . .although, to be technical, it was actually Sesshomeru's bed.

The moment she walked into Sesshomeru's bedroom, he had just stepped out of the shower and was toweling dry his hair. He turned toward the opening door in mild surprise, and she saw his nude form. He was pale, slender and muscular like some greek god in marble. He lowered his towel but didn't bother covering himself, visibly amused by the woman's slack-jawed stare. Kura blushed a remarkable shade of red and beat a hasty retreat, slamming the door behind her. Sesshomeru chuckled and began to work the tangles out of his damp mane with his fingers. Then he paused: something was bothering him about the encounter, but he couldn't think what it was exactly. Her scent . . . she still smelled of citrus, as she always did, but something had changed . . . The rank stink of fear had disappeared. The fear was a human body's automatic reaction to a demon's presence; the only human who didn't stink of fear whenever he was near was Rin, and she had spent several weeks in his home before adjusting. Kura trusted him so deeply that she had overcome instincts that were thousands of years old.

Slipping on a kimono, Sesshomeru decided to test his theory by moving up behind her soundlessly while she sat on the couch. She didn't notice his presence. He leaned close to smell her; there was no trace of fear in her scent. As he leaned in, some of his hairs brushed against her neck. Startled, Kura jumped and whirled around. "Hey!" she yelled, but slipped off the edge of the couch and banged her head on the coffee table. "Ow . . . What the hell are you doing? Don't sneak up on me like that!" She looked up at him, but her face turned red again remembering that she had just walked in on him naked.

"I thought it was impossible to sneak up on a Council Senior," Sesshomeru mocked. Kura's cheeks paled as anger replaced embarrassment. Her retort was lost forever when there was a sharp rapping on the door.

Sesshomeru opened the door and ushered in a prim young woman. She was petite, with her dark hair pulled back in an immaculate bun. Sesshomeru asked, "News?"

"A great deal of it, Lord Sesshomeru." She nodded to Kura on the couch. "Sanada-san."

Yura's jaw dropped. "Mikayami-san?" This was the last place she expected to see Tokyo Council's Chief Secretary. "Are you . . . spying for Sesshomeru?"

"Don't be silly, Sanada-san. I merely pass along the information that comes my way. Meaning all correspondence coming into or leaving Tokyo Council. Of course, there's been a blizzard of paperwork since you two made that scene at the office 34 minutes ago."

Sesshomeru asked, "What's Council's status?"

The woman opened her binder. "None of the Seniors reported performance-threatening injuries, although two katanas, a short dagger and a small crossbow were reported damaged beyond repair. The estimated cost of repairs to the walls and table comes to--"

"Skip it," Sesshomeru interrupted.

She flipped two pages before noting, "Kura Sanada and Miroku Higurashi are both facing discipline or expulsion for endangering Council . . ."

Kura interrupted, "What happened to Miroku?"

"Kaede-sama wanted him imprisoned in Council offices, but his squadron leader interceded and took him into her custody."

"Hunh? Squadron leader?"

"Sango Himake from National Council. He has been assigned to her squadron, and discipline within the squad is her exclusive jurisdiction." Kura shrugged; Tokyo Council had never had enough members to organize into squadrons; most demon hunters considered themselves lucky if they were assigned a partner.

Sesshomeru asked, "And what of war preparations?"

"At least some in council seem to have taken Kura's warnings to heart. They are focusing their efforts on securing ample miko blood and blessed weapons. The enemy is now believed to be in sector P." Kura smiled slightly. At least Council had some idea what to expect now."

"When will the attack come?"

"The plan is to launch an attack on sector P at 11:30 PM, the day after tomorrow. With the assumption of heavy resistance, the army would not approach your territory before 2 AM at the earliest, my lord."

Kura protested, "Council is still going to attack Lord Sesshomeru?"

Sesshomeru said softly, "I told you before, Kaede will not pass up this opportunity to get rid of me."

"Kisama!" Kura punched the couch in frustration. "Why won't she listen to anything I say?"

"Because of her hatred for me. Remember: fourteen years ago, three Seniors attacked me on Kaede's orders."

"You're saying that she can never forgive you for killing those three?"

Sesshomeru's eyes were far away when he answered, "No, I'm saying she can never forgive herself for sending those three to their deaths."

"Then why does she risk more lives attacking you again?"

"She is behaving illogically. Humans' actions are emotional far more often than they are rational. Beneath the trappings of civilization, humans are merely animals of instinct."

Kura's cheeks burned with this new humiliation. Damn his cool superiority! What right did a dog-demon have to call humans "animals," anyway?

Mikayami was, of course, unruffled. "Do you have any further questions, my lord?"

Sesshomeru dismissed her with a wave of his hand. He then turned to Kura. "Do you remember what I told you about the Gathering ceremony? How a mystical barrier guards the site?"

"Yeah. You said you needed a human with exceptional spiritual powers to break the barrier. That's why we went to Council."

"We still need a monk or miko." He tossed her a cellphone that was sitting on the coffee table. "Why don't you call your Miroku?"

"Oh!" Kura flipped open the phone eagerly and was almost dialing when she paused, puzzled. "Uh, Sesshomeru-sama? You have 192 new messages."

Sesshomeru snorted disdainfully. "I told them not to call me. I don't leave my phone on." Kura raised her eyebrows, and Sesshomeru snapped, "I can't stand the ringing."

Kura chuckled. "I stuffed my cell under my couch cushions." She was so nervous, she dialed the number wrong three times before finally pressing the send button. "Hi, Miroku, this is Kura, I--" Her face fell, and after a couple seconds she started over again. "This is Kura. I need your help, and, well, I really need to talk to you. Call me as soon as you get this message. The number is, uh . . ." She looked at Sesshomeru expectantly, then repeated the number he dictated. After pressing "END," Kura exploded, without a trace of irony, "Dammit! Why do people leave their phones off?"

"You would prefer everyone left their phones inside their couches?" Kura lobbed a throw-pillow at Sesshomeru, who caught it and placed it on the armchair, outside of Kura's reach. He then gave her an appraising look. "My warriors will be meeting here within the hour. It would be safest if you were not present."

Sesshomeru saw the jaw clench, and realized immediately that he had taken the wrong approach with the demon hunter. "It might be safest for your demons if they don't provoke me. Sesshomeru-sama, I agreed to serve you as a fighter, not a maid." She met his eyes, challenging him.

Sesshomeru shrugged. "Do as you like."

"I will. Always."


	19. Hiten and Manten Arrive

Twenty chapters! WOW! Wait a minute . . . why are you still reading this? Don't you have more important things to do? Ah, well, I guess I have better things to do than write, too . . . better, but not as fun.

Sango and Miroku have to decide whether or not they can trust each other.

Everyone should thank Anadria for the new-and-improved readability of these chapters! After receiving her review, I realized that I had completely forgotten to double-space all chapters after number 14. What a drag for you guys to read. (What a drag for me to replace, but . . . Hey, I love my fans. Especially any who make it all the way to the 20th chapter!)

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomeru, Miroku, Sango, Kaede, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 19: Hiten and Manten Arrive

Sango's demon hunters all stayed bunched together as they walked down the hotel's hallway to room 329. In the center of the group was Miroku, with Yuhi and Hojo holding tight to either arm in case he tried to escape. Not that Miroku had any clear idea of what he could accomplish even if his captors did let down their guards. Sango led the way, visibly seething. When everyone was inside, she slammed the door, locked and bolted it.

She turned to Miroku. "Care to explain what the hell happened back there? A strange woman walks in, a demon attacks and, goddamn it, you PROTECT the demon? What's your problem?" Sango crossed her arms and glared. "Look at me, Miroku."

Miroku stared at the carpet. "I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you."

"Baka! You nearly got killed!" Sango was pacing now, tugging nervously on her long braid. "You nearly got us all killed! What were you thinking?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Well, you're right about that one." Sango took a deep breath, then added in a calmer voice, "It's me, Miroku. Can't you just tell me what's going on?"

Miroku sighed. "I'll try. The woman was Kura Sanada, a Senior who went missing days ago."

"Your friend?" Sango asked. "The one you were telling me about?"

"Yeah."

"That's wonderful," Sango said with real feeling. Miroku winced. Sango said apologetically, "Not everyone seemed happy to see her."

"We were happy to see her, it was the news she carried that we didn't like."

"The Nosferatu Gathering?"

"And an alliance with a demon lord. Heaven only knows how she thought she could convince Council."

"So the demon that attacked was--"

"The demon lord. But he didn't attack so much as . . . well, he seemed like he just wanted to grab Kura and go. He broke a bunch of weapons, but didn't actually hurt anyone."

"Except his ally."

"My point is, we should have at least listened to her. Kura may be emotionally volatile, but she's no fool. If she believes that there's a real danger, and that Sesshomeru's willing to help . . . I choose to trust her." Miroku crossed his arms and raised his chin defiantly. "If I get the chance, I'm going to help her. I don't care what Council thinks about my actions."

"You could lose your job."

"Why should I care? I can kill vampires with or without Council's official say-so."

There was a loud crash outside the window, and there was the sound of a woman screaming. Kohaku jerked the window open and said, "Sis, I think it's coming from two floors up."

The squad was out of the room and flying up the stairs in an instant, Miroku close behind. Other hotel guests were peering out of their doorways.

"This is the room!" Sango heaved her immense weapon-- a boomerang made of a giant bone-- and splintered the hollow oak door. Inside were two demons and two young women. A stout toad-like man was strangling one of them. His partner, with the appearance of a handsome young human, had his hand through the other young woman's throat.

The handsome one said regretfully, "I should have realized the bitch would scream."

"Hiten, those look to me like demon hunters," the toad demon exclaimed. "Should we flee?"

"From humans? My dear brother, you must be joking."

"But the lord Sesshomeru said--"

"Screw the old man. Give these demon hunters a taste of your fire, Manten."

Hiten hefted a wicked-looking spear and prepared to attack. Manten, without releasing his victim, breathed a jet of flame at the doorway. The demon hunters leapt back and escaped the fire, but the carpet continued to smolder, filling the room with noxious chemical smoke. Fire alarms blared.

Hiten charged gleefully, stabbing at Kohaku. Sango blocked a series of blows with her bone boomerang. It looked for a moment as if she had the upper hand, but then lightning crackled the length of the spear. It blinded Sango and forced her back into the hallway. Miroku cursed. The door to the room was a natural bottleneck. With Hiten blocking the doorway, Sango's squad was split into two groups: Sango and most of her men were in the hallway fighting against Hiten, while Miroku, Yuhi, Kohaku and one other were trapped in the room with Manten.

To fight, Manten was forced to relinquish his stranglehold on the young woman. During the struggle, Miroku made his way to her side and was relieved to know she was still alive, but unconscious. He rolled her onto her side with one arm extended up above her head. That way, if she threw up while unconscious she wouldn't choke on the bile.

In the hallway, Hiten was covering the walls with burn scars, but hadn't hit any of the demon hunters yet. One hunter used a whip to try to pull the spear from the demon's grasp, but the leather fried to ash the moment it touched the lightning staff. Hiten's skill was forcing the demon hunters to stay back out of his range.

Yuhi kept Manten at bay using a pair of kodachi. Fortunately, the demon could not breathe fire constantly, but only once every 15 seconds or so. The carpet, bedspread and curtains were all on fire. Manten lunged at Miroku, grabbing him by the front of his collar and hoisting him into the air. Kohaku's sickle-and-chain flashed out with perfect accuracy and severed the demon's right arm at the elbow.

Manten howled with pain. Hiten turned and cried, "My brother!" but was too late: the sickle embedded itself in the toad-demon's right eye at the same moment Yuhi's kodachis sliced through his windpipe.

Hiten screamed in anguish, blasting wildly at his brother's killers. Grief-stricken, he ran through the blazing curtains and shattered the window with another spear-blast. He leapt out the fourth-story window and flew away. The small wheels next to his feet spun as if they were pulleys for invisible ropes.

The squad circled around the dead demon. There were some tentative grins as everyone made sure none of the demon hunters had been seriously injured. One of the young women was going around with a fire extinguisher.

Sango beamed. "Nice job, team. Especially you two, Yuhi and Kohaku." She pulled her little brother into a fierce one-armed embrace. He blushed. "Guys, head down to our room. Miroku and I will be along just as soon as Council's cleanup team arrives."

"But Sango," Yuhi protested, looking sideways at Miroku.

Sango interrupted, "That's an order, soldier. Go take a shower, or you'll stink of demon blood for days."

Miroku leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, unwilling to admit how curious he was about Sango's thoughts. "What made you decide I was harmless?"

Sango said, "I haven't made any decision yet. I just want to be sure I'll make the right one. That demon--" she nudged Manten's corpse with her toe, "--said something about a Lord Sesshomeru. Same one?"

"Yeah."

"Apparently, they were doing something against the demon lord's orders when they attacked us." Sango spoke slowly, as if afraid she would arrive at an unpleasant realization.

"He must have told them not to attack Council members while he was negotiating."

"Perhaps. Even if he did, negotiations are over. Why didn't he want us attacked?" She mused to herself, "It could be a trap, but I just can't see the hook."

Miroku said evenly, "Maybe it isn't some trap. Maybe he's just trying to defeat the Nosferatu Lord, like Kura said. Maybe we should trust him."

"That's the other possibility. So, Miroku, it looks like it's up to us to decide. Why don't you start by telling me everything you know about this Demon Lord Sesshomeru?"


	20. The Demon Warriors

Kura has insisted on being present when the demon lord meets with his warriors. Will she regret it? How will the demons react to fighting alongside a council member?

Quick confession: I really, really, really shouldn't have used a character name that starts with the letter "K". Why? List some other Inu characters: KAGOme, KiKyO, Kaede, KOGA, KirArA, KAGurA, KAnnA, KAGerOmeru . . . K, A, G, and O are really way too popular. Just three names really confuse me though: Kagome, Kagura, Kageromeru. Try saying them three times fast.

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomeru, Koga, Yura, Kagura, Kageromeru, Jeromeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 20: The Demon Warriors

The two demons who entered Sesshomeru's apartment appeared to be exceptionally beautiful young women. The shorter of the two wore a low-cut mini dress that concealed very little. She immediately flung her arms around Sesshomeru.

"Sesshomeru, honey, it's been far too long. But now that we're finally together again . . ." She tangled her fingers into his long silver hair and leaned forward to whisper something in his ear. He reached down to cup the back of her head in one hand.

"My dear Yura," Sesshomeru murmured, "You are as unsubtle as ever. Release the threads wrapped around my neck. Now."

"Or what?" Yura teased. "Will you punish me? You should. I've been a very, very bad girl."

Sesshomeru held up his left hand, which was holding a beautiful red hair comb. "Now, now, Yura. It would be a pity if this were broken."

Yura gasped and put a hand up to her own hair, where the comb should have been. It was gone. All the color drained from Yura's face. Releasing Sesshomeru from both her visible and invisible embraces, her hand lingered to finger his silky hair. "Someday I will have it, Sesshomeru-sama."

"You are welcome to take my hair, Yura. After I am dead." The demon lord turned to the other demon, leaning against the doorjamb. She was striking in an elegant kimono and dark red lipstick. "Kagura, I am amazed you were able to tame this wildcat. Still, her affections seem to have many recipients . . ."

The corner of the demon's lips quirked into a half-smirk. "It makes no difference how many she gives her affection to. Her only commitment is to me." Kagura moved to her partner's side and put a possessive arm around her waist.

"I am relieved to hear that your relationship is so open. It would be a tragedy for me to lose my only chance at two such ravishing females." Koga strutted in, carrying in his arms a kitten. Kura, who had been watching quietly, did a double-take. Did that cat really have two tails?

"Speaking of ravishing females," Kagura said in her rich alto, "News of your exploits has traveled as far as Kyoto. You pursue human women now?"

"Only when I am forced to be apart from demon beauties like you and your partner, Kagura."

The apartment door opened again to admit Jeromeru, who was half-carrying his twin brother Kageromeru. They were both handsome, with soft waves of blue hair falling to their shoulders. "My dear friends," Kageromeru exclaimed, but his eyes were hard and suspicious, roaming constantly around the room. Kura felt a shiver of fear as he regarded her with a strange intensity.

"You and your brother are welcome here, clever one," Sesshomeru acknowledged them gracefully. The cat in Koga's arms hissed and spat at Jeromeru, who growled and struck with the speed of a serpent. Sesshomeru created a large battle-aura to protect his cat minion from the feral demon's attack and snapped, "Kageromeru! If you cannot control your younger brother, he must go."

The crippled demon hobbled to his bestial brother and calmed him by stroking his hair. "My lord," Kageromeru sniveled, "It was Kirara who provoked him."

The demon cat licked its paws thoroughly and swished its two tails testily before leaping to the couch back next to Kura. The human nervously offered the kitten a hand to sniff, and Kirara butted against the hand playfully, asking for a chin-scratch. Kura was amazed that such a tiny, adorable cat could be a demon. The cat prowled along the couch-back, rubbing up against the back of Kura's neck.

Kura realized that every demon was watching her intently. She was also becoming aware of her body's response to the demons' presence: nervousness, adrenaline, faster heart rate, sweating. She wondered wildly, "Why didn't I leave when Sesshomeru suggested I go hide?"

Yura chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. "I know I've seen this human before, but where was it?"

Kageromeru scoffed, "You can tell the difference? All humans look and smell the same."

Yura said defensively, "I don't usually remember them, but this one was special . . . Kagura? Can you remember?"

"It was three years ago, when we were watching part of Tokyo that was outside of my lord's jurisdiction. We were tracking a spider-head."

"I remember him! The one that disguised himself as a creepy old man during the day. Ugly, ugly, ugly."

"Two humans from Council killed the monster." Kagura gave the human woman a long, appraising look. "Your hair was longer. You carried a double-bladed staff."

Kageromeru hissed, "Sesshomeru! You bring this Council spy to our secret meeting! Is it true that you begged the humans to leave you in peace? Has the great lord fallen so low?"

Kagura snapped open her fan; Yura pulled her red comb from her hair; Koga shifted his weight forward onto the balls of his feet; Kirara crouched, ready to pounce. Sesshomeru was completely still. His voice was as even and disinterested as ever when he said softly, "Kageromeru, you would do well to remember that both you and your brother are disposable."

Kageromeru backed down immediately. "Sesshomeru-dono," he whined, "Forgive me for my doubt. I am your most devoted servant."

Kagura asked, "Sesshomeru-sama, would you explain to us why this ningen woman is here?"

Kura said, "It's simple. Like you, I serve Sesshomeru-dono."

"Watch your tongue, human," Kagura snapped, "We are nothing alike. I am a warrior, girl, not a whore."

"Three years ago, you saw me decapitate a spider-head. I am a Council Senior. We are both warriors."

"A Council Senior?" sneered Jeromeru. "A Senior must have real skills . . . either in the field or in the bedroom. Your real skill is spreading your legs, right?" He leaned close to her over the back of the couch, and whispered to the back of her neck, "Why don't you show me the skills that got you to the 'top'? If, of course, my lord doesn't object." He hugged her from behind, sliding his hands up to fondle her breasts. Kura was rigid but unmoving, her eyes on the demon lord.

Sesshomeru watched impassively for a moment, a tiny smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He nodded once.

Instantly, Kura grabbed Kageromeru's wrists and pulled them forward to throw Kageromeru over her shoulder. The moment his feet left the floor, she dug her elbow into his solar plexus, forcefully expelling air from his lungs. As she completed the throw, Kura twisted the demon's right arm around his back and held him down with a knee in the kidney, an extremely painful blow for any humanoid. She looked up at Sesshomeru for orders.

The crippled demon's brother, Jeromeru, had leaped to his brother's defense, but Koga had intercepted him and Yura had bound him with invisible hairs.

Sesshomeru was amused by Kura's display of prowess, coupled by a display of obedience to her master. She wasn't trying to prove anything to her lord, he suspected, but rather to his warriors. Did she think his reputation had suffered so much by her presence that she needed to prove her value as a warrior and servant? Well, it did seem to be working. When the brothers were both released at Sesshomeru's order, they showed the human woman respect. At the very least, they stopped openly questioning Sesshomeru's choice of warrior.


	21. Hiten's Massacre

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know it's been ages since I updated. What can I say, the world got in the way. As appeasement, please accept a whole bunch of chapters.

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 21: Hiten's Massacre

It soon became clear that nothing could be planned until a powerful human magician was found to break the Nosferatu lord's seal.

Kura said, "You mean a monk or miko, right?"

Kagomeru sniggered, but one look from Sesshomeru silenced him. Koga quickly leaned towards her to explain, "It's not the occupation that's important, it's the talent. Most human magicians appear within established magical bloodlines: monks or miko in Japan, witch doctors in Africa, the Romani in Europe . . ."

"Romani?"

"You would probably know them as 'Gypsies.' In this city, our best bet is to look for bloodlines that created powerful monks and miko, right? So, do you have any more questions?" Koga smiled.

"Just one. Why is your hand on my ass?" Kura smiled right back, but showed more teeth than was strictly necessary.

"Ah . . . well," Koga muttered, "that one's tricky." He withdrew the offending hand. There were a number of smirks over his immediate compliance.

The demon warriors were quick to supply the names of human magicians. Sesshomeru was silent, sitting back with his hands steepled in front of him. No one was reprimanded for any suggestion, until the demon lord leaned forward and said abruptly, "That will be enough. Some of the humans suggested are unsuited for the task: Uchida, Abe, Hata and Tokita are not powerful enough. Matsumiya died last year during the engagement with the bat demon. Tsuruoka and Hirata are out of the country and not expected to return soon. Tanaka was an interesting suggestion, Yura . . . unfortunately, he has become unreasonable about demons ever since you killed his wife." Sesshomeru looked at each of his followers in turn; each dropped their gaze upon realizing that they had no other options to suggest. "Recently, a young monk has come to my attention. Miroku Higurashi was recently promoted to Senior Council member. His abilities are impressive. It took him only 20 seconds to break through a class-C magic circle that was reinforced by sutras."

Koga let out a low whistle. His companions wore expressions ranging from amazement to disbelief.

Sesshomeru continued, "More important, he has shown some sympathy with our efforts. Regrettably, his sympathy has earned him Council detention; we may need to free him, but care must be taken not to harm too many Council members, or we will alienate him."

Kagomeru snorted in disgust. "Why are we coddling the human? All we need to do is torture a member of his family or a lover, and he'll do anything we say." He leered at Kura out of the corner of his eye as he added, "Of course, any human might do the trick . . ."

"Impossible," Kagura interjected. "Human sorcery is tied to emotion and desire. His wish to save the human wouldn't carry over into a desire to follow our orders. While he was worried about the hostage, he could only call on his true power if he was rescuing her directly." She added sourly, "To break the seal of a Nosferatu lord will require all of the power he has."

"Working with humans!" Kagomeru muttered, "We never would have disgraced ourselves like this in the old days." He locked eyes with Sesshomeru; neither was willing to back down.

Abruptly, every demon turned to stare at the door. Kirara, who had been nosing about in the kitchen, raced into the room and froze, sniffing in the door's direction. Kura had no idea what was going on. Sesshomeru crossed to the door and flung it open, muttering, "What could make Masayo so anxious?"

Kura asked, "Who?"

"The rabbit demon who handles most of the lord's business calls," Koga explained. "She's leaping up the stairwell right now."

This time, Kura was able to hear a muffled thump as the demon cleared another flight of steps before hurtling toward the room. In her haste, she almost ran into Sesshomeru.

"My lord!" Masayo cried, out of breath, "It's Hiten!"

"What happened?" Sesshomeru's voice was calm.

"Police report he's attacked the shopping mall near the Nakai hotel, a quarter mile from your territory!"

The demon lord didn't curse, but his voice became even colder. "And his brother?"

"No sight of him, my lord."

Sesshomeru turned his head slightly toward the warriors. "Grab your weapons, men. We're leaving." He was halfway to the balcony when he remembered something and commanded, "Kirara, carry Kura."

Kura stared at the demon lord's back, dumbstruck. If he wasn't so serious, it would have been funny. She was supposed to be carried by a kitten? Her confusion was resolved when, in a burst of flame, the two-tailed kitten transformed into a saber-tooth tiger. Kura stared nervously, but strong hands grabbed her from behind and tossed her easily onto the cat's back. "Koga, what the hell are you--" she began, but almost swallowed her tongue when Kirara took a single bound over the balcony railing and into empty air.

Kura was too terrified to scream. She clung to the great cat's neck, and felt a purr rumbling in its chest. Her body jerked with the rhythm of the great cat's run. "Huh?" Kura wondered, "Why aren't we falling?" She took a look down-- and down, and down, and down . . . Kura tightened her stranglehold on the cat's neck when she realized that they were bounding along on air, hundreds of feet above the ground.

She had her eyes squeezed shut, so she had no warning of Kagura and Yura's approach until one of them spoke almost in her ear. "What's the matter?" Yura teased, "Afraid of heights?"

"Yes. Ever since Sesshomeru-sama pulled his last stunt like this one." She cracked an eye, and saw a sight so bizarre that she forgot her predicament. Kagura, her kimono carefully arranged, was kneeling on an enormous feather, which was floating along like a magic carpet. Yura sat behind her with an arm encircling the wind demon's waist, although whether this was from fear of falling or a more romantic sentiment, Kura couldn't tell. "Where are the others?" Kura asked.

Yura pointed. Kura could barely make out a white blur streaking along the rooftops ahead of them, followed by two darker blurs. "Sesshomeru, Masayo, and Jeromeru carrying Kagomeru. Koga is down on the street."

Kura looked down, and immediately regretted it. She buried her face in Kirara's ruff, ignoring Yura's laughter, and refused to look up again until she was sure the cat's feet were on solid ground.

From the screams and fleeing crowds, it was obvious they had found the place. Kirara transformed into her less conspicuous form, making the entire group seem mostly human, to casual inspection. The crowd parted instinctively to let them pass, but paid the demons little attention.

They found Hiten in the large center court, where the ground floor opened up to the height of the third floor. The marble fountain was smashed; water sprayed into the air from the broken pipes. Large burn scars and walls reduced to rubble were mute testimony to Hiten's directionless rage. At least half a dozen young women lay sprawled on the floor or under the rubble, their throats savagely torn out and blood pooling by their corpses. The demon hovered in the air using his flaming wheels and held up another woman by her throat.

Kura felt nausea and a moment's dizziness at the gruesome sight. There was a touch on her elbow; Masayo was offering the human her silent support. The rabbit demon leaned close to say softly, "This matter is between Lord Sesshomeru and Hiten. We're here to support our lord, not to interfere."

"That girl he's carrying . . ."

"Still alive. For now," Masayo added pessimistically.

"His victims . . . Why are they all young women?" Kura wasn't at all certain she wanted to know.

Masayo scowled. "Bastard's always been a misogynist. You know, the 'all women are sluts' type. You should've seen his face seventy years ago, when Kagura beat him in a contest; I doubt he's forgotten yet."

Kura looked around at the other demons, and noticed the females looked particularly angry, subconsciously drawing together for support. Kagomeru and his brother alone seemed unconcerned; Sesshomeru's battle aura showed his extreme annoyance, and even Koga had dropped the pretense of happy-go-lucky good humor in favor of a snarl.

Sesshomeru did not shout, but his voice carried in the tense silence. "You have disobeyed my direct orders, Hiten. Where is your brother?"

The demon of lightning made a noise of grief, a combination of yell and wail. "That-- BITCH-- from Council and her men MURDERED him!"

Sesshomeru was unmoved. "I gave you the information you needed to avoid Council entirely. I also instructed you to harm no humans within Tokyo."

Hiten protested, "It was only two whores, Sesshomeru!" His eyes blazed with madness as he continued, "They were human sluts in short skirts who wanted to be fucked." His voice dropped to a whisper. "These ningen will pay for the death of my dear brother."

Sesshomeru asked simply, "You fought with Council members? Did any of them die?"

Hiten flushed, but admitted, "Not yet, but I will feast upon their still-beating hearts. They murdered my bother!"

"Good," Sesshomeru answered, his eyes flashing. "It saves me the trouble of killing him." The lightning demon blanched. "You will die for your insubordination; I will carry out your sentence immediately."

Hiten's smirk was pale and sickly. "Ha. You'll show your power here, surrounded by humans? You don't have the guts."

Sesshomeru's standing vertical leap would have put pole-jumpers to shame. His energy whip snapped out at his startled opponent, who threw the woman he had been choking at the demon lord. As Hiten had hoped, Sesshomeru pulled back his whip and reached out to catch the woman, leaving himself vulnerable. Hiten darted through the air to the demon lord and swung his spear up and brought it down towards Sesshomeru's head.

Hiten doubled over from a blow in the abdomen, but didn't know what had punched him. His strike went wide, barely clipping the sleeve of Sesshomeru's kimono. Cradling the victim's neck in his elbow to prevent whiplash, Sesshomeru landed and went down on one knee to lessen the impact.

Hiten, who had barely avoided being knocked out of the air, yelled, "You are a disgrace, dog! Down on your knees for some woman! You would probably let a female be on top when you take her to bed." Even as he mocked the demon lord, Hiten was retreating hastily, pedaling his flying wheels backwards.

Sesshomeru carefully set the demon's victim on the ground and stood. "You are a fool. Did you really think I was defenseless, even without the use of my hands?" He swished his long, plush tail back and forth. Hiten stared, amazed. He had believed the tail a useless decoration that the demon lord had unformed. "It is true that I haven't formed it for many years now, but I haven't forgotten how to use it. Now, prepare to die."

Even in his panic, Hiten noticed the woman who had moved just a couple of meters too far from her lord; he smelled the stench of human. Ignoring the battle, she had moved away to aid an older man trapped beneath the rubble. "Wait! Don't move, or I'll burn this woman to charcoal."

Kura realized her danger too late. Sesshomeru narrowed his eyes, calculating how long it would take him to reach the human woman. The answer he arrived at left a bitter taste in his mouth. The words he spoke were even more bitter. "A bargain, Hiten."

There was a moment of shocked silence. Then Hiten's cackle filled the air. "Who is this bitch, to make the proud Sesshomeru bargain with an enemy?"

Sesshomeru ignored the question, stating, "I have only one offer, traitor. Leave the human alone, and I will give you a chance to run. As long as you stay clear of my territory and threaten the lives of neither my demon servants nor any humans, I will give you forty-eight hours to flee."

Hiten's eyes darted from the demon lord to the human woman. "How can I be sure of your word? Perhaps I should take the girl with me, for security."

Sesshomeru raised his eyebrows. "Get any closer to her, and I'll kill the both of you. I won't make any further concessions."

Hiten trembled in fear and anger. Finally, he yelled, "Damn you and your whore. I'll have my revenge!" He aimed a blast of lightning at the skylight, which shattered into lethal shards. While his warriors ran for cover, Sesshomeru darted forward to snatch Kura and carry her to safety. When they looked up again, Hiten had fled through the hole in the ceiling.

Feeling Kura struggling against him, Sesshomeru reassured her, "He's gone. Don't worry, you're safe. We should leave now, before the police arrive."

When he released her, she started running back to the man pinned under a block of concrete. "He's still alive! I've got to help . . ."

"Wait!" Sesshomeru called, annoyed. "I'm ordering you to leave!" When she continued to ignore him, he darted after her.

Kura didn't notice the shards of glass she was walking on; none of them penetrated the hard soles of her boots. She took more care kneeling beside the pinned man. He was in his early fifties with hair and a beard that was more gray than black. His left leg was caught under a block of concrete that weighed more than eighty pounds. To her horror, Kura saw that his lips were stained with blood.

"Ojii-san," she said gently, "Don't worry, I'm here to help. Just lie still for a minute, and I'll get your leg free." She rested a hand on his chest, and felt the warm blood that had been invisible against his dark suit. Looking closer, she saw that a knifelike glass shard had impaled him. There was a horrible rattle in his throat; he couldn't draw another breath.

"He's dead," Sesshomeru said flatly. "You can't do anything for him. Come with me."

The demon lord towered over her, but Kura couldn't obey. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted his scabbard. "You could still save him. The Tensaiga--"

"No." His tone made it absolute. "I do not save humans."

"You saved me," she protested.

"And you're making me regret it. Get up, girl."

Kura winced both at his callous words and at the anger in his voice. She stood, and was thrown over the demon lord's shoulder like a sack of rice. Rejoining his warriors, Sesshomeru shoved Kura over towards the great cat but didn't look at her. She struggled to mount, and received an unexpected boost from Masayo. The rabbit demon squeezed Kura's knee as if to reassure. As the group ran for the North exit, Kura could hear police sirens arriving at the South entrance.

"Kagomeru. Jeromeru. Follow Hiten, and report back," Sesshomeru instructed.

"Hai," Kagomeru agreed. He was riding piggyback on his stronger brother, and he steered the near-wild demon east, the direction Hiten had fled.

Kura felt Kirara's body tense and held on while the great cat leapt. When the cat's feet touched down on the balcony, Kura dismounted awkwardly. She looked up, directly into Sesshomeru's furious eyes. She met and held his gaze, resisting the temptation to cower.

"Masayo," Sesshomeru finally instructed, "show this girl to Rin's room, then join us. We should continue our discussion." Kura thinned her lips in anger at being ignored so pointedly. As he turned away, Sesshomeru added cryptically, "I'll decide what to do with you later."

Rin's room was completely different from the rest of the house. The walls were a pale blue, and the fancy canopied bed was a shocking pink. A glass pendant hanging in the window cast rainbows around the room. The understated elegance of the rest of the house, the dark wood paneling and expensive leather furniture, was completely missing from this room. It was the only room that showed someone lived there: skirts and kimono were draped over the back of a chair, and a couple of dirty blouses had been shoved part way under the bed. In the corner was a pile of once-cherished stuffed animals. Kura's eyes went immediately to the beautiful china doll atop the chest of drawers. Kura lifted it gently, admiring the silk costume it wore.

Grinning at Masayo, Kura said, "My sister gave me a doll like this, before she . . ." The joy went out of Kura's face when she paused, then finished, "before she married."

Masayo's brow creased in sympathy. "Dear, perhaps you should rest. You've been under a great deal of stress lately, hmm?"

"You're right. I do feel tired." Kura sat on the bed and smiled gently at the other's concern. It was nice to have a friend here, especially when Sesshomeru was angry at her. When the rabbit demon tried to leave, she almost tripped over Kirara in her kitten form. The cat leaped up into Kura's lap, and rumbled like a small motor when Kura stroked her. Two friends, Kura corrected herself.

"Oh, Kura?" Masayo said just before closing the door. "Try not to judge him too harshly. Our lord has reasons for what he does . . . and what he doesn't do."

Kura leaned back into the cushions and yawned. Did Masayo mean that Sesshomeru had a good reason for refusing to save Hiten's victims? Why hadn't he just said so? Kirara curled up against her chin as Kura fell asleep.

Sesshomeru found Kura still sleeping when he came to talk to her a few hours later. He had calmed down considerably and was ashamed of his earlier curtness. It was silly to blame the girl for Hiten's escape; she was only a human, acting as humans do. Although, if that was true, how was she able to constantly surprise him?

Of course Kura wouldn't understand how the Tensaiga worked, and would expect miracles from it at every turn. Sesshomeru intended to explain it to her, to avoid future misunderstandings, but decided that it could wait until she woke.


	22. Conspiracy

Short chapter, thickening the plot. Hee hee!

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 22: Conspiracy

Hiten knew he was being tailed: he could see the figure leaping from roof to roof behind him. However, he was puzzled when the Jeromeru and his brother caught up to him. Had the demon lord sent only one pair of warriors against the lightning demon? If so, Hiten was eager to show Sesshomeru his error by sending their heads back to him.

"Hiten-san!" Kagomeru called. "Won't you talk to your old comrades?"

Hiten snorted. "I don't have anything to discuss with that dog's followers."

"No? You don't want to hear my proposal for putting him down permanently?" Kagomeru waited while Hiten slowly descended to stand on the ground.

"What are you scheming, sly one?"

Kagomeru widened his eyes in mock-innocence. "I come to offer you valuable information, and you accuse me of scheming?"

"I'll accuse you of worse, trickster." He paused. "What information?"

Jeromeru's grin showed all of his sharp teeth. "Only the location of his human foster-daughter. Of course, we must be careful not to let such information fall into the hands of Sesshomeru's enemies, or something terrible might happen to her."

Hiten smiled tightly. "That would be a tragedy. Unfortunately, I have no intention of doing your dirty work for you, while you stand securely at Sesshomeru's right hand. Leave me out of your plots, cripple."

Kagomeru let his eyelids droop dangerously as he said in a drawl, "My dear Hiten, I am not talking about inconveniencing our lord. I want him dead, even if it means tipping my hand."

Hiten raised his eyebrows as he asked, "You're willing to fight against all of Sesshomeru's warriors?"

"Fewer than you might think," Kagomeru said, grinning. "Actually, two of his trusted servants approached me about getting rid of him." Hiten gaped, and the schemer continued, "One of them was inordinately concerned about the way the demon lord would be killed. Seems she's doesn't want his beautiful hair stained with blood."

The conspirators smiled at each other, then began to laugh.

Kagomeru added another thought: "I imagine that the Nosferatu emperor would reward us handsomely for ridding him of this pest. He might make us generals."

"Hn," Hiten snorted. "I don't care about that, as long as my brother is avenged."

"Speaking of revenge, my dear Hiten, there is a small favor I would ask of you. . ."

"Yes?"

"The lord has new pet, a human girl. You threatened her at the mall. I want you to kill her."

Hiten was amused. "Kill a human girl for you? Why? Don't you want to take your revenge personally?"

Kagomeru's eyes slid sideways as he admitted, "She is strong."

"Then command your brother."

"I would, but Jeromeru can be a bit . . . messy." Kagomeru grimaced. "I don't want her corpse torn to pieces, immediately . . . I want her terrified, shamed, begging for her life. I have noticed that you have a way with ladies, my dear Hiten. I am asking you to make her suffer for humiliating me in front of Lord Sesshomeru and my comrades."

"I see," Hiten said, licking his lips. "Tell me: is she pretty?"

Kura woke with the certainty that there was someone else in the room with her. She sat up and swung her legs down to the floor to seem less helpless. "Kagura-san? What do you want?"

The wind demon was leaning casually against the door, which she had shut behind her. "You're good," she noted. "You went from REM sleep to fully awake in five seconds when you sensed my presence." She touched a hand to her immaculate bun. "By the way, Sesshomeru left half an hour ago, along with Koga, Kirara and Yura. Masayo is downstairs."

"Um, OK," Kura said as she stood up.

"I'm telling you this so you know how useless it will be to scream." Kagura was fast. She grabbed Kura's arm, but the human woman managed to break the hold. Switching strategies, Kagura made a tackle. Their tangled bodies crashed into the edge of the bed before tumbling to the carpet. Kura struggled until the wind demon caught one of the human's fingers and bent it back, threatening to break it. "Lie still now, there's a good girl," Kagura cooed as she leaned close. By straddling the human and using one hand to hold her down, Kagura had her mostly pinned. The wind demon caught the point of Kura's shirt collar in her teeth and pulled until the top button undid itself. For a panicked moment, Kura was sure the demon was going to bite her neck like a vampire. Instead, Kagura licked her from the place where her neck joined her shoulder to just behind her ear. Kura shivered. The demon's tongue was as dry as a cat's, but smooth and silky.

Kagura released her captive's finger to touch the side of her neck. "What's this bump? A hickey?"

Kura scowled. "It's a souvenir from the first vampire I killed. It bit me." Kura looked into the other's eyes, which seemed to be glowing. "Are you . . . seducing me?"

Kagura's low chuckle vibrated between them like a purr. "I was . . . curious. What you said before, about not being Sesshomeru-sama's whore . . . I wanted to know if you were lying."

"And you found out by jumping me?"

"No; I found out by licking you." Kagura's grin was lazy and self-satisfied. She slowly rose, allowing her captive to sit up.

"What?!?"

"Demon lords exert powerful auras when they are excited, emotionally or sexually." Kagura licked her lips. "If you had been in close proximity to an . . . excited . . . demon lord, I would have been able to taste him on your skin. Or, if you were carrying some sort of a spell or hidden power, I would taste it." She pouted slightly as she concluded, "It seems you have neither seduced Lord Sesshomeru nor ensorcelled him. If he is bewitched, it is entirely by natural means."

"Bewitched?" Kura repeated, confused. "But if you weren't trying to . . . ah . . ." The human blushed. ". . . why did you jump on me, instead of just explaining?"

Kagura gave her body a lingering look. "I never said I wasn't trying to seduce you." The wind demon exited, leaving Kura in a state of openmouthed stupefaction. Kagura poked her head back in to comment, "You're kinda cute when you blush, you know." The human obliged by flushing red. Kagura winked. "Yeah, like that."


	23. Peanut Butter and a New Alliance

I finally sat down and planned out the timelines for Sesshomeru's life, Kura's life and the story itself. That means I'm changing a couple of the figures previously stated. Ex: Sesshomeru has had territory in Tokyo for 20 years, not 16.

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 23: Peanut Butter and a New Alliance

Kura stood shakily, completely baffled by the wind demon's visit. Rubbing absent-mindedly at her neck, she felt the raised scars left by vampire fangs. How many years ago had she received the mark? Six? Six years of fear and struggle, ever since the unseen world had invaded her own.

Satisfied that she had her trembling under control, Kura padded softly into the kitchen. Sure, Sesshomeru had told her to stay in Rin's room, but Kura wasn't feeling particularly cooperative. Plus, she was hungry. She poked past raw ingredients, searching for something already prepared. She found a half-jar of peanut butter in the refrigerator, and a box of sugary cereal in the cabinet. Could be worse.

Munching on her strange peanut-butter goop, Kura's thoughts turned to the demon lord, and to the way she had annoyed him. Kura had only wanted to help the humans . . . Surely Sesshomeru could understand. She felt the beginnings of shame when she remembered that she hadn't even thanked him for saving her life. Again.

Kura wasn't in the habit of being protected. Part of her felt resentful of the demon lord's strength. A much larger part of her felt more relaxed and secure than she had in years. She trusted Sesshomeru. Just a tiny sliver of her mind felt uneasy about that. Trusting demons wasn't conducive to living a long life.

Kura heard the apartment door open, and Masayo's voice drifted into the kitchen. ". . . the bat demon are also assumed to be against us, judging from past alliances. The mouse demons are staying neutral for the time--" She was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. "Yes? . . . Are you certain? . . . Do you know why? . . . Do you have any guesses as to why-- . . . I see. I'll pass this on to Sesshomeru-sama immediately." She turned the phone off with the press of a button and said, "My lord? Your Council informant reports that their offensive action has been postponed."

"Oh?"

"It seems there has been some dispute over leadership between the Tokyo and National branches."

"Hmm," the demon lord muttered. He added in a worried tone, "Do you smell something strange? From the kitchen?" As he pushed open the door, he covered his nose and stared at Kura. "I thought I told you to wait in Rin's room."

"I got bored and hungry. You want some?" She held out her mixture to the demon lord, who was horrified.

"You're . . . you're eating that?!? What is it?"

"Cereal, peanut butter, milk, corn chips, leftover rice and an orange."

"You mixed them all together?"

She shrugged, explaining, "I don't cook."

"With taste like yours, I find that a blessing," Sesshomeru said with some asperity. "I am going to ask you to stay out of this kitchen, under all circumstances."

Kura scowled. "This from a guy who probably eats the hearts of his enemies."

"Perhaps, but I would never eat them with peanut butter." It was an irrefutable point.

Masayo's cell went off again. She ducked her head apologetically at her lord as she answered. "Yes?" she said, then paused for a long moment. "Could you please repeat that?" After another pause, she covered the receiver and looked up at Sesshomeru with wide eyes. "The caller says she is Sango Himake, squadron leader from National Council. She wants to talk to you about an alliance."

Sesshomeru went absolutely still. He held out his hand for the phone. "Himake-san. I've been hoping to hear from you. This is Sesshomeru."

Sango's voice was a bit strained. "You kidnap a Council Senior, break into a Council meeting, destroy part of a shopping mall. Then you leave a message on Miroku's phone. I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself."

"How generous," Sesshomeru drawled, "but I think you'll see everything is quite self-explanatory. Sanada entered my territory. I had intended to interrogate and dispose of her, but she pledged her service to me. When Council attempted to arrest her, they were interfering with one of my representatives. The regrettable incident at the mall is a private affair between myself and one of my warriors."

Sango was stunned by the demon's arrogance. She sputtered, "A private affair? A private affair? Nine humans were killed, seven of them deliberately murdered, and twenty others were injured. You call that private?!?"

"The incident occurred within the boundaries of my territory, and it involved one of my agents," Sesshomeru noted calmly. "The demon who killed those individuals will die for his crime, of course. However, under my law, his sole crime was flouting my orders. Understand? Human laws mean nothing to me."

"And human lives?" Sango asked.

"I have a duty to those who serve me, or fight with me, and will of course honor the terms of any negotiation. Any other ningen are hardly my concern. I prefer to stay uninvolved in human affairs." He turned the conversation back to his main concern, asking, "What has all that to do with the proposed alliance?"

"I don't make deals with the devil."

"But you will make one with this demon. You don't have a choice. Attack without the necessary spells, and all of your precious human warriors will be cannon fodder. You need my help." Sesshomeru's voice held a note of contempt.

"Oh?" Sango asked, her anger rising. "It seems to me that you need our help as well, o great demon lord."

There were three seconds of silence before Sesshomeru acknowledged, "You are correct. I have found the necessary ancient spells to bring down the Nosferatu's shield, but I require a human magician of considerable skill to cast them. I believe you hold in your custody the monk Miroku Higurashi . . . ?"

"You think Miroku has enough power?" Sango asked doubtfully. She shrugged off Miroku's query, shushing him.

Sesshomeru answered, "I am certain."

Sango chewed on her lip. "IF I were to agree . . . there would have to be conditions."

"Naturally," the demon lord agreed.

"You have to promise not to kill any humans--," Sango began.

Sesshomeru scowled. "That I cannot swear. What if humans should attack myself or my agents? Am I not allowed to defend my territory?"

Sango considered. "Self-defense is reasonable, but how are we to work together if you threaten death to any Council member who enters your territory?"

"Will you guarantee the safety of my demon agents who roam outside of my territory?"

"Of course not!"

"Then it seems we are at an impasse."

Kura watched Sesshomeru, her fists white-knuckled, trying to guess at the other half of the conversation.

"My squad found two of your agents attacking a pair of young women."

"Describe the demons."

Sango thought. "One was about six feet tall, long black hair back in a braid, mostly human appearance. He fought with a spear--"

"And the other?" Sesshomeru interrupted.

"Bald, toad-like, could breathe fire--"

"Hiten and Maten. Brothers who have been in my service for over a hundred years. Do I guess correctly that you killed one of them?" Sesshomeru's voice was cool and distant.

Sango paused, worried, but said defiantly, "Yes, we did."

"It seems I owe you thanks," Sesshomeru admitted. "I assure you, his brother will be dead within a fortnight."

"What?"

"I'll kill him for defying my orders," Sesshomeru explained. He felt Kura's eyes on him, trying to burn through him. With a mental sigh, he set aside the verbal sparring to go straight to the point. "I have a proposal: I pledge to act in a way that will benefit you and yours if you do the same for me and mine."

Sango was stunned by the simplicity of the statement. "Shouldn't we agree on specifics first . . . ?"

"That is necessary only between untrustworthy parties." The demon lord assured her, "My honor would never allow me to break a pact, and I trust that you will keep your end of the bargain." Sesshomeru did not add his unspoken thought: 'even if you are a human'. "Besides, it is clearly in both of our own best interests for this alliance to survive."

"I see. I . . . I agree."

"Plan to join with my forces to assault the Nosferatu early the day after tomorrow. Do what you can to continue to delay Council's plans to attack the Nosferatu and myself."

Sango swallowed nervously. "You knew about that?" Sesshomeru snorted. There was a muffled exchange on Sango's end, then the squad leader asked tentatively, "Sesshomeru-sama? Miroku would like to speak to your prisoner, if you will allow it . . ."

Sesshomeru raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Your prisoner wishes to speak to mine?"

"Miroku isn't my prisoner any longer," Sango retorted.

"Nor is Kura mine," Sesshomeru replied evenly. He handed the phone to Kura.

The human woman accepted the phone with as much care as she would show a live bomb. She had a single thought looping through her brain: "What the hell do I say to Miroku?" She brought the phone tentatively to her ear. "Moshi moshi?"

"Kura." Miroku's voice was filled with conflicting emotions. Concern won out. "Are you OK? Did he . . . did he hurt you? Because if that youkai laid a single finger on you, I swear I'll--"

"Miroku, don't be a worrywart. I'm fine. Sesshomeru-sama saved my life." She winced. "Three times and counting, actually." She sidestepped the question of whether or not the demon lord had hurt her. "Listen, Miroku, there's something I have to say: gomen nasai. That argument we had, what I said about you, what I put you through, I . . . shimatta, I'm not good at this aplogizing. I just wanted you to know that I was a real jerk, and I'm ashamed of it."

Miroku knew he had just received the most sweeping and sincere apology Kura could make. Part of him was touched, but he still felt a bit of resentment. He asked cooly, "How close did you come to fulfilling your death wish?"

Kura winced at his tone. "Really, really close," she admitted. "That Nosferatu lord was . . . kuso, he was strong. And fast. I felt like a damned rag doll, the way he was tossing me around. Thank the gods he was careless, too. I pinned his foot with that knife you gave me . . . the one with the sutra, remember?"

"Yeah, your birthday present."

"Mmm-hmm. It gave me time to run, and Sesshomeru-sama rescued me." Kura didn't try to explain WHY she had entered the demon lord's territory. Miroku wasn't ready to hear it. She forced out the next words through the wall of her pride. "Miroku, I . . . I was . . . scared. I wanted you to . . . to be there." Why was that so hard to say?

Miroku's voice was soft. "You scared me too. I thought I'd killed you."

"It wasn't your fault, damn it!"

"I know that, but knowledge couldn't stop me from feeling guilty." There was an awkward pause before Miroku said cautiously, "Kura, when you disappeared, and were presumed dead, the Council . . . it broke the seal on your death envelope."

"So?" One of the first acts of any Council member was to sign over their legal possessions to the Council and to write an unofficial will, left in a sealed "death envelope". The leaders had discovered several decades before how difficult it was to prove a member was dead, especially when their body was missing or savaged beyond identification. They used death envelopes to sidestep the legal system completely.

"Kura, you . . . you left me everything you own. Well, you left everything to Yumi and me . . ."

Kura tried to guess what Miroku was getting at. "Did you spend all my money?"

"No!" Miroku cried, horrified. "Of course not. I just . . . Why didn't you leave it to your family?"

"What would my mother and father do with miko blood and throwing knives? Not to mention dingy furnishings in Tokyo?"

Miroku snapped, "That's not the point."

"What is your point then?" Kura was getting irritated at his hedging.

"You put us down as your next of kin, to be contacted in case of your death."

Kura explained, "I've got an aunt on Okinawa, but I didn't want to look up her address. Besides, I've never met the old lady."

"Dammit, Kura, what about you parents and siblings? Don't you want your family to know that you died?" He paused, then asked more quietly, "Are your parents . . . dead?"

"No."

"Then why didn't you--"

"I didn't want to remind them that they had a daughter. It would bring back unpleasant memories, disrupt their state of denial." Kura's voice was more bitter than he had ever heard it. "Listen, Miroku, it's been a long day, what with dying and being resurrected and all. We'll talk later, OK?"

Miroku gulped and answered, "Uh, sure, later." Kuso, she could be really defensive when you poked her in a sensitive spot.

Kura flipped the phone closed and handed it to Masayo. She scowled fiercely, daring the rabbit demon or Sesshomeru to ask her about her family. Masayo dropped her eyes, and Sesshomeru gave her an unreadable, blank expression. She turned to leave, but the demon lord grabbed her arm.

"Kura, we still need to talk. Come . . ." Sesshomeru trailed off, his eyes narrowing in puzzlement. He gave her arm a tug, forcing her to stumble into his chest. He could feel the flex of muscles in her arm as she stiffened, suspicious. Her mouth dropped open in shock when he pulled aside her hair and bent his head to sniff her hair and down her neck.

Kura thought wildly, "Is he going to lick me too? Or bite my neck? Why do demons and vampires have a neck fetish?" However, Sesshomeru merely sniffed her neck and released her so suddenly that she stumbled backwards. He regarded her with a raised eyebrow and veiled curiosity. Before she could collect her composure enough to say a word, he had swept past her, headed for his room. "We'll talk shortly. Wait in Rin's room." As he entered his office, he called over his shoulder, "Masayo?"

"Yes, my lord," the rabbit demon answered, scurrying in after him and closing the door behind her.

Kura rubbed her neck, once again flabbergasted. Were demons completely unfamiliar with the concept of personal space? And what the hell was so interesting about the left side of her neck?


	24. Infatuation

Note: I'm moving the story into more intensely romantic and sexual territory. It's going to earn its R rating for more than just the occasional swearing and violence.

Thanks to KeeraSango for the review! I'm afraid that my interpretations of the characters aren't strictly cannon, especially Miroku, Sesshomeru and Koga, but I'm having too much fun with them as is to apologize or change.

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomeru, Koga, Yura, Kagura, Kageromeru, Jeromeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 24: Infatuation

Kagura arrived scant minutes after she was called. She had been expecting the summons. She knocked on Sesshomeru's door, and heard her lord answer, "Enter."

Kagura came in and dropped down to one knee, her head bowed. Unusually formal for the wind demon, Sesshomeru noted. That indicated that she was worried that he would become angry. Interesting. "You know why you have been called?" the demon lord asked.

Kagura answered formally, "I beg you to tell me, my lord." Very diplomatic: she completely avoided answering the question.

"There is an unusual scent clinging to the Council girl's skin. I would go so far as to say it was similar to your scent."

"Indeed, my lord?"

"Could you explain to me why you licked my prisoner's neck?" Sesshomeru's voice was light, amused.

Kagura raised her head slightly to respond teasingly, "Have you never wondered how a Senior Council member tastes?"

"So you wanted to know more about the girl?" Sesshomeru asked, his voice filled with polite disbelief. His voice hardened when he demanded, "Or did you want to learn more about my physical relationship with her?" Kagura dropped her head again and clenched her fists. "The truth, now."

"My lord, I . . . Who you choose to spend your nights with is none of my business."

"I am glad that you remember, Kagura."

"However, Sesshomeru-sama, your recent behavior has been a . . . cause for concern."

"Speak plainly." Sesshomeru interlaced his fingers, waiting quietly, but his eyes were hard and attentive.

The wind demon looked up into those flint-hard eyes, but was forced to drop her eyes. She blurted, "I feared that you had become infatuated with her, my lord."

"So you tasted her skin, to measure the physical level of our relationship?" His voice and face were expressionless. She nodded. Sesshomeru said confidently, "Then your fears have been laid to rest."

"Not at all, my lord. They have grown."

"What?"

"Please explain to me, my lord, why the girl tastes of Tensaiga's power."

Sesshomeru's voice was suddenly quiet. "I must answer to my own vassal for my actions?"

Kagura was too upset to take the warning. "Please, Sesshomeru-sama, tell me why! Why save that human, when you wouldn't save Kanna? Why?"

Sesshomeru softened slightly; he sounded weary. "We've discussed this before. The Tensaiga's power is extremely difficult to wield. It has taken hundreds of years to gain my current level of control, and mastery is still centuries away. When your sister died, it could have cost me my life to revive her. When I saved the human girl this morning, my only cost was draining the sword's energy for fifteen hours."

"What if you have need of it . . .?"

"It is a risk I chose to take. After all, we need her monk to take down the Nosferatu shield."

"Not necessarily," Kagura contradicted. "We could ally ourselves with the Nosferatu." Sesshomeru fixed her with a piercing gaze, but she continued, "Just think. With a Nosferatu emperor, we would no longer need to disguise ourselves from humans. We could show our true natures instead of hiding in these concrete boxes. Surely you, too, miss the savage world we were born into."

"It was savage in many ways, the least of which was the untamed wilderness," Sesshomeru reminded her. "Have you forgotten the wars between demonkind and vampires? The last Nosferatu emperor killed the last demon emperor over three thousand years ago, but the ground is still filled with the bones of our ancestors who fought in their Great Wars. An alliance with the vampires makes no sense."

"Instead we ally ourselves with humans who pave and pollute land which was ours?"

"You have never given me reason to believe that you dislike your current lifestyle which is, may I remind you, supported by my investments in human industries."

"My lord, you're acting like one of them!" Kagura bit down on her tongue until it bled, but she couldn't unsay the words.

Sesshomeru went still; the only part of him that was alive were his livid eyes. There was a long silence, during which Kagura struggled to breathe in a room suddenly deprived of air. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above the level of the other demon's breath. "It is good that you brought your concerns to me in private. I never want you to say a word about an alliance with the Nosferatu, or about my supposed "infatuation" ever again, understand?"

"My lord . . . please believe me when I say that my loyalty to you will never waver. I beg you . . ."

Sesshomeru interrupted scornfully, "There is no need to plead for your life. You should know that I don't kill my vassals for expressing opinions to me." He turned away, a clear dismissal.

Kagura reached into her kimono and pulled out her fan, opening it with a snap. Sesshomeru turned to look at her, concerned but not alarmed. He had defeated her previously without any major injuries. But what was she planning?

The woman touched the razor-sharp edge of her fan to her abdomen. "I pledged my life to you, Sesshomeru-sama. If you consider that a burden, say the word and I'll end that life." She looked into his face, demanding an answer.

"Seppuku?" He crouched so that his eyes were at her level and lay a restraining hand on her wrist. "I forbid it. It may be an honorable death, but it isn't good enough for you." A slight tremor went through her hand. "Look at me, Kagura. I still need you to stand behind me. Plus, you're still the only one in the world with any influence over Yura." His voice became more brisk and professional. "I want you to keep an eye on your comrades for me. Let me know what they speak of when I'm not alone."

The fan closed with the sound of paper folding. "I hear and obey, my lord." She touched her head to the floor before rising and leaving.

Sesshomeru clenched his jaw, annoyed. If even his most trusted servant was worried, the others would be thinking along similar lines. He cursed silently, thinking, "I don't have time for this now, with several Nosferatu lords in the city." He called to Masayo, "Send for the human girl."

A minute later, the door opened as the rabbit demon announced, "Kura-san, my lord."

Kura entered hesitantly, uncomfortable in a bright yellow kimono decorated with red leaves. The obi, sized for the slender Rin, wasn't long enough for Kura, so she wore a long ribbon as a belt. Sesshomeru noted with detachment that it was a more flattering pattern when it was worn by Rin. It made this young woman look sickly and washed-out. Or was that because she was especially pale?

She knelt awkwardly, and said hesitantly, "Sesshomeru-dono? You, uh, summoned me?"

"We need to clear up that misunderstanding we had in the mall."

"Um, about that, I was out of line . . . I panicked, my lord." Kura hung her head in shame.

Sesshomeru raised his eyebrows at this admission. "Really? It looked to me as if you knew exactly what you were doing. You went to aid the humans who needed help the most." The demon lord's mouth twisted into an ironic half-smile. "Not at all what I had hoped you would do, but . . ."

"I'm sorry . . ."

"Are you really?" Sesshomeru mused, half to himself. "I should have anticipated your softheartedness." Kura flushed slightly at his condescension, but at least he wasn't angry anymore. "Be warned that, in the future, I expect you get my permission before rushing to the aid of humans. At the very least, you should look to your own safety first." The slight flush reddened. He was pointing out that she had ignored the very first rule of first aid: don't become another victim.

"Hai, Sesshomeru-dono." She started to bow and exit, but he stopped her.

"There is one more thing you should understand. It's about the Tensaiga." He drew the blade, the edge of which was polished to a high sheen and didn't have a single nick. "When you look at it, do you see it's indigo aura? Look closely."

Kura stared at the blade until she could see its afterimage when she blinked, but she was forced to admit she couldn't see anything unusual.

Sesshomeru said, "You don't have even a trace of magical power. How did you get involved in the supernatural world?"

Kura took a step back, startled at the change in topic and defensive. One hand went automatically to the small scar on her neck caused by vampire fangs. "Why do you ask? What does it matter to you?"

Sesshomeru noted the defensiveness of her tone and let it drop. "I simply find it remarkable that someone with no connection to the supernatural both survived the initial encounter and remembered it. As I said to you before, humans have a remarkable capacity for denial."

Kura pressed her lips together and said bitterly, "I've noticed."

Allowing that to pass unquestioned, Sesshomeru said, "If you were able to see the aura, you might notice how faint it is. The sword's power has been exhausted recently.

"Oh?"

"In other words, it takes a great deal of power to cheat death. That power is not unlimited. One thousand years ago, it might have killed me to save a single life. Just four hundred years ago, it would have left the sword exhausted for months. Now, the sword will reach full strength in another six hours. At that time, it will be possible for me to use Tensaiga's power once again."

Kura stared at him, astonished. "One . . . thousand . . . years? How old are you?"

Sesshomeru chuckled. "Did you hear a single word I said after that?"

"Yes, but I don't understand why you're telling this to me . . ."

"I'm telling you that you can't expect miracles from me at every turn. According to the sword's master forger, it has the ability to restore a thousand lives with a single stroke. Unfortunately, that will probably take another thousand years to learn that technique. The Tensaiga requires more patience to master than it's twin fang. For the foreseeable future, don't expect it to save more than one life every fifteen hours."

"Twin fang?"

Sesshomeru shook his head. "I'm not going to stay up all night answering your questions. Get some rest. You look strained."

"Oh. If you wish it, Sesshomeru-sama . . ." She paused, uncertain. Sesshomeru gave her a nod to continue. "Um, could I get some dinner?"

"You were just eating fifteen minutes ago!"

Kura became cross. "Well, you interrupted my snack, and I'm still hungry. On top of that, Masayo won't let me into the kitchen, on your orders!"

Sesshomeru smothered a chuckle. "I'll make you something. What would you like?" Before she could answer, he interjected, "Actually, don't answer that. It probably would have something to do with peanut butter and eggs. You'll just have to eat an actual meal, for a change."

Kura bit her tongue. She had been going to suggest an omelet of leftovers, which was as ambitious as she had ever gotten in the kitchen. "Don't you have a servant to cook for you? That small green demon, perhaps?"

"Jakkin?" Sesshomeru asked, surprised. "You clearly don't know what he considers edible, or you wouldn't ask. No, I haven't ever found anyone, human or youkai, who could meet my standards. How are you with spicy peppers?"

"I never met a Jalepaño I didn't eat," Kura answered.

"Mexican it is, then."

The demon lord made such a show of chopping the vegetables and throwing them into a sizzling pan that Kura half expected him to start juggling the knives. Each spice was added with a practiced flick of the wrist. His speed and grace was as awe-inspiring in the kitchen as it had been in his dojo. Though he didn't smile, Kura could see his pleasure in creating this masterpiece. Oven-warmed tortillas appeared on plates, heaped with beans, cilantro, salsa, rice and vegetables. He folded the tortillas too fast for Kura to follow, but the result was a triangular pocket that kept the steaming sauces inside. Kura hesitated for a moment to displace the garnish and ruin such a delicate creation, but hunger won out. She bit in, letting the warm salsa drip down her chin.

"Wunnerful," she slurped, trying to lick the sauce from her fingers. The rest of her meal disappeared in the time it took Sesshomeru to take a single bite. He raised an eyebrow at her manners, but she refused to be embarrassed. "It really is fantastic cooking. You should open a gourmet restaurant."

Sesshomeru blinked at her, his expression unreadable. "A restaurant?"

Kura wondered if she had just insulted him, but shrugged off the concern. "You're really talented. It would be a great way to unwind. That is, if you ever get tired of your day job of trying to take over the world."

Sesshomeru almost choked on a piece of green pepper. "Take over the world? What would I do with it once I had it?"

Kura noted wryly that he hadn't considered it impossible to take over the world, simply undesirable. What if he changed his mind? Playing along, she said lightly, "Issue a proclamation banning peanut butter. I dunno. Don't evil masterminds always have a goal?"

The demon lord rolled his eyes. "You mean apart from trying to seduce the virginal heroine?"

Kura didn't blush, but her eyes widened slightly as she looked over to be sure he was kidding. Whatever she saw in his eyes, it didn't reassure her; she stared for a moment, transfixed, before she lowered her gaze. "It's been a long day. I'll just go to bed now, like you suggested." As Kura pushed away from the table, Sesshomeru caught her hand.

"Wait." Kura froze, staring at his hand holding hers. He gave it a tug, which made her look up into his eyes. "Masayo is organizing a strategy meeting for tomorrow between myself, Himake-san and your boyfriend--"

"He's not my-- um . . ." She bit her tongue again.

The slight curve of the demon lord's lips was too slight for Kura to notice. As if she had not interrupted, he continued, "I expect you to be there. I'll wake you at eight." He released her hand.

"Hai . . ." Kura said quietly, trying to ignore the sudden warmth she had felt between her thighs the moment he touched her. She thought fiercely, "I am not attracted to him. He's a demon lord, and I'm just a human woman. Why would he even notice me? Not that I care!" She paused for a moment outside his bedroom door and, looking back furtively to make sure he wasn't watching, she laid her palm against the wooden door. She muttered, "Baka, acting like some silly lovestruck schoolgirl. The sooner I leave, the better." She rubbed her hand absently where he'd grasped it, and went into Rin's room with a sigh. She felt exposed wearing only a nightgown to bed, so she rummaged around in the bureau until she found a pair of running shorts.

Lying in Rin's canopied room in the dark, she found all her concentration focused on the door, waiting. "What am I waiting for?" she wondered. "Do I really expect him to come sneaking in here?" Her stomach clenched a bit, and she rolled over so she could watch the narrow line of light shining under the door. "Why the hell would he sneak around in his own house? If he wanted to-- and I can't think of any reason why he should-- he could do anything he wanted with me." She clenched a fist. "I'm sure Masayo is much more attractive to the demon lord than I ever could be. And he certainly seems to be on friendly terms with Yura and Kagura . . ." Unbidden, the memory of Kagura's embrace resurfaced. The sensation of the wet tongue on her neck, the faint chill of the drying saliva . . . and in her imagination, it was Sesshomeru's soft voice that whispered in her ear, stirring the small hairs on the back of her neck.

"No!" she said aloud, angry. "I love Miroku. He's never hurt me, he's always been kind and considerate. He would never hurt me. Not like . . ." She saw Sesshomeru's yellow eyes, not exactly cruel, but so cold and uncaring that the force of that gaze had taken her breath away. A hunter's eyes. The heel of his hand pressing on her broken ribs, the other hand choking her. The flex of muscles in his predator's lithe body, the inhuman speed and grace, the sheer force of his presence. And by god, he was beautiful. The porcelain skin, the perfect symmetry of his face, the elegant movement of his fingers, the gorgeous hair . . . would it feel like silk if she ran her hands through it? Or would it be as soft and warm as down feathers?

"Go to sleep," she told herself firmly. "Just stop thinking and go to sleep." She was sleepy, but her muscles were still wiry and her mind raced. She reached down the low collar of the nightgown to fondle her breasts, stroking around the sensitive nipple with her calloused fingertips. The difference between soft and hard, smooth and rough, warm and cool, was arousing enough to dimple and harden the nipple. Running her nails gently along the inside of her arm, from the wrist towards her breasts, she wondered how claws would feel against her skin. With a slight smile on her lips, she fell asleep remembering eyes that were liquid gold.


	25. Kouga's Discovery

WARNING: This chapter contains LEMON and MALE-MALE SEX. If this disturbs you, PLEASE DON'T READ IT. Oh, and if you ignore this warning, don't flame me about it, OK?

If you want to follow the story but skip the lemon, just don't read between the dashed lines, OK?

I should admit this is my first attempt at writing lemon or slash, ever. A friend complained that I hadn't tried writing any, and one thing led to another . . . Now I have officially joined the slash lemon writers, I couldn't be more embarassed. I mean, I couldn't be more proud. Honest.

I'm planning on adding a new chapter or two every week or two, at least until I get swamped by homework again. I'm really having a lot of fun with this story.

I'd like to thank Kat Morning for the setting of my story, which is based on the alternate universe of her inu fanfic "Blood Ties."

Disclaimer: I do not own Miroku, Sesshomeru, or any other Inuyasha characters. They are owned by their author/creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 25: Kouga's Discovery

Sesshomeru stared at the screen of his laptop, where he hadn't typed a single character for several minutes. His mind was focused on remembering Kagura's words: "I feared that you had become infatuated with her . . ."

Ridiculous. It was an amusing game, to make her blush and stutter, certainly. And her ability to surprise him had made him chuckle many times, but infatuation? With a human girl younger than Rin?

The Lord of the Western lands wondered for the twentieth time why he had bothered to save Kura. Not just once, but three times! He tried to push out of his mind the flush in her cheeks when she blushed, and the memory of falling asleep with her in his arms . . . Thank the spirits he had slipped away before she woke, both nights. How would he have explained such a situation to her? Although she was sleeping in Rin's room, her citrus scent continued to cling to the demon lord's bed.

From the door, Kouga called a question. Sesshomeru pulled himself out of his reverie to answer, "Hmm?"

"I stopped by to report on the activities of our non-allied demons. Is there a problem, boss?" When Sesshomeru still failed to respond, Kouga crossed to him. "Boss? Are you feeling OK?"

"Of course," the irritated demon lord snapped. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Ah, sure, it's just that . . . Boss, you're projecting an aura."

Sesshomeru was startled. He was usually aware of his powers at all times. The aura wasn't a full battle-aura, but it was much stronger than Sesshomeru usually allowed. How could he have failed to notice? The demon lord realized that he had allowed several seconds of silence, but tried to brush off his servant's concern. "There is an important battle approaching. Some tension is natural."

Kouga said hesitantly, "This isn't like you, to waste so much power . . ."

Sesshomeru thought dully that he should be annoyed, but Kouga's words were completely true. Not only did Sesshomeru never waste power or show the slightest sign of strain, the demon lord didn't ever become distracted from the problem at hand by his lovers. Sesshomeru corrected himself, "Not that Kura is, or ever will be, a lover. She's just a . . ." He searched for the right word, before concluding sourly, ". . . an infatuation. Dammit." Sesshomeru was definitely acting out of character.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He wasn't the only one. Kouga gripped Sesshomeru's shoulder. The demon lord whipped around to look his subordinate in the eye, and was shocked by the naked emotions he saw there: fear, need and lust. Sesshomeru paid close attention to the wolf demon and noticed his elevated heart rate, rapid breathing and dilated pupils. He was trembling slightly, his skin was flushed and unusually warm, and his scent indicated arousal. "What on earth?" Sesshomeru thought, "Why is he . . . OH!"

Aloud, Sesshomeru said, "Kouga?"

As if breaking out of a trance, the wolf demon blanched and dropped to his knees. "Forgive me, Sesshomeru-dono, I . . ."

"There is nothing to forgive," Sesshomeru answered, and he lazily extended a hand to stroke the younger demon's hair. If he noticed that Kouga shivered in pleasure or that the crotch of the wolf-demon's jeans suddenly became tight, Sesshomeru didn't mention it. "Kouga, have you ever touched a demon lord's aura before? When it was as charged as mine is right now?" Kouga shook his head while leaning into the demon lord's caress. "Think carefully, now," Sesshomeru chided, and took his hand away.

Kouga moaned slightly at the loss of his touch, but his eyes refocused as he started to think. "I touched your aura, Boss, when we were fighting."

"When we first met? Just before you joined my service? I seem to remember you tried to woo my female companion . . . What was her name?" Sesshomeru was teasing him, testing the limits of the wolf-demon's self-control.

"Whose name?" Kouga was sorely distracted.

"The female demon who was with me. The one we fought over. What was her name?" Sesshomeru repeated, a little less patiently.

"I don't remember, Boss," Kouga admitted, hoping that was the end of the questions.

"You never do remember their names, do you?" Sesshomeru mused. "But that is beside the point. Do you remember how it felt when you touched my aura back then?"

Kouga jerked his eyes from Sesshomeru's crotch to his golden eyes. Was the demon lord making a threat? "Y-yes, my lord, I remember."

"How did it feel?" Sesshomeru asked. He could feel himself relaxing, now that he was fully in control of both the situation and his own thoughts.

Kouga was trembling again, this time from fear. "It was agony, my lord, like fire. And when I tried to push through, it forced me back like a strong kick in the stomach."

"And do you know why you aren't feeling pain now, even though you are touching my aura again?" Sesshomeru almost snickered; the sensations that were befuddling Kouga's brain were definitely not pain. Kouga muttered something unintelligible and rested his cheek on his lord's knee, lost in the sensations. Sesshomeru explained, "You have served me faithfully for 970 years, Kouga; in those years, I've become so accustomed to your presence that my aura treats you as an extension of myself. It boosts your powers, shields you, and has certain . . . side effects."

Sesshomeru lifted Kouga's chin until their noses were an inch apart. When he spoke, Sesshomeru's breath brushed the other's lips. "You understand that you are reacting to my aura, yes? Now tell me, Kouga, do you wish me to retract the aura, to free you from its effects?" Kouga shook his head vehemently, but never broke eye contact with his lord. "Very well," Sesshomeru purred, "then perhaps you wish me to do . . . this?" The demon lord slid off the chair so that he was kneeling in front of Kouga, pressing his legs, groin, torso and lips against the other demon's. Kouga reacted instantly, pressing back and forcing the demon lord over backwards. He moaned loudly. The wolf demon's amorous kisses and caresses were enthusiastic, but too hasty and careless to bring his partner much pleasure.

Kouga tore at Sesshomeru's clothing, exposing a smooth, slender, muscular chest. He licked, stroked, kissed, and nibbled on every inch of exposed skin, working his way down from the base of the throat to the level of his jutting hip bones. Kouga grabbed the other demon's crotch. It was only then that Kouga realized Sesshomeru was still unaroused. Confused and worried, he looked up into the demon lord's golden eyes, which glinted with an amused, predatory light.

With an abrupt twist of the hips and shoulders, Sesshomeru flipped both himself and his partner, so that the demon lord was now on top. Slowly, deliberately, Sesshomeru began to return the attentions that had been lavished on him. He started by undoing Kouga's fly, then used the friction between the two demons' thighs to push down his jeans. When the wolf demon, groaning, reached for himself to relieve his erection, Sesshomeru captured both his hands and pinned them above his head. The taiyoukai used his teeth to unbutton Kouga's shirt, tugging carefully until each button slipped through its hole. Sesshomeru could feel Kouga shuddering with pleasure with each shift of position as the skin of his bare chest brushed against the other's.

Growling, Kouga wrapped his legs around Sesshomeru's hips, crushing their groins together, and dug his nails into the demon lord's back, urging him to move faster, harder. Sesshomeru had enjoyed teasing the younger demon with his greater self-control, but he was ready to move on. He didn't need to worry about being gentle with Kouga; he was no vulnerable human girl. Their lips came together in a bruising kiss, and Sesshomeru forced his tongue between the other's fangs. Salty blood from the resulting cuts plunged both demons further into the depths of their most primitive minds. In a sign that his self-control was weakening, Sesshomeru broke off the kiss to bury his fangs into the sensitive place where Kouga's neck joined his shoulder. With a muffled cry of pleasure and pain, Kouga arched his back, pressing his groin against Sesshomeru's. The demon lord reveled in the taste of blood and the strong scent of wolf and sweat, with just a hint of citrus . . .

Although he would never admit it, the scent of the human girl distracted him almost completely. Swearing silently, he wished he had thought to change the sheets earlier, so he wouldn't have the omnipresent smell to remind him of her, of the way he imagined her lips might taste . . .

Looking down into Kouga's eyes, Sesshomeru knew this wasn't the partner he wanted. Dammit, but he was infatuated. He wanted to know how she felt, pressed against his body, he wanted to hear her cries of pleasure, he wanted to see her face flushed and shining with sweat. Squelching the frustration he felt, Sesshomeru pushed one of his hands down Kouga's jeans. Using his fingers and thumb to form a ring, he pumped up and down the shaft, allowing the wolf demon to thrust into his hand. Kouga snarled and panted, his rhythm picking up speed and then becoming erratic. Moments later, the wolf demon clenched his fingers and toes and flushed red across his cheeks and his chest as he climaxed. He went limp, looking up at his lord with a dopey grin.

He continued to lie there, spent, after Sesshomeru rose and went to the bathroom to clean his hand and straighten his clothing. Within minutes, Sesshomeru was once again immaculate and expressionless, with his aura firmly suppressed. Kouga had zipped his fly and was buttoning his shirt when the demon lord reentered the room. His throat closed in worry at his lord's sudden coolness. Had Kouga offended him? "Uh, Boss?"

"Yes?" Sesshomeru asked disinterestedly.

"Boss, I'm sorry . . ."

"Are you? Really?" Sesshomeru quirked an eyebrow suggestively, and Kouga felt his cheeks burning. "You regret participating in my little . . . demonstration . . . of my aura's effects?"

Kouga was sure that those golden eyes were mocking him, but he couldn't stop himself from protesting, "No! It was nice . . . I mean, it was great! But I should have . . . "

Sesshomeru brushed off the recriminations. "Stop babbling," he snapped, then continued, ". . . You have a question?"

"Um, Boss, will this happen every single time that . . ."

"No, you'll get used to the aura very quickly, I imagine, and will feel nothing more than a vague attachment to me." Sesshomeru grinned wickedly. "Of course, there are other ways of stirring lust, if you are interested . . ." Kouga blushed again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sesshomeru added, "Oh, by the way, thank you for your concern earlier, but I am feeling just fine, as you can see."

"OK, Boss," Kouga answered and backed out the door.

Sesshomeru allowed himself a deep breath and a stretch, and his mind turned inevitably back to the human girl. Kura. His "infatuation."

What the hell was so special about her? She wasn't beautiful, or even that pretty. Her skin was lined with scars, and her nose was crooked. She didn't have the strength, flexibility or undying beauty of a demon female. Judging by her stuttering and blushing, she hadn't had many lovers, so she was probably unskilled as well. She was nothing more than a human girl who fought against vampires and was constantly in need of protection.

So what was special about her? The fact that she found him attractive was to be expected. He would have been insulted if she hadn't. Almost all of his vassals found him mesmerizing, male and female alike. Occasionally he indulged them, or even had a relationship with them, but for the most part he simply accepted their adoration as his due.

He closed his eyes and kneaded his furrowed forehead. He thought of the first time he saw her. Bleeding and bruised, limping and terrified, but unbroken. She had seen him with bloody claws, known that he would kill her, and she had smiled. A triumphant smile that showed her seeming fragility was false. In that instant, she had been breathtakingly beautiful, despite her crooked nose and swollen cheek. Or perhaps she was so beautiful because of those bruises and scars. Had that been the moment he had been caught?

He shook his head. Infatuated with a human girl who had no magical abilities, remarkable beauty or even an agreeable personality. She was just damnably stubborn. He hoped that he wouldn't choke on the number of his own words he was going to have to eat, all those insults about demons who fell for weakling humans. Still, that wasn't so bad, in comparison: even the insults couldn't taste as bad as that disgusting peanut-butter glop Kura had created. That woman couldn't be too fragile, since she evidently had a stomach made of iron.


End file.
